What was the course of the Six Day War?
Eminent American historian Barbara Tuchman opened her essay on Israels stunning victory in the Six Day War of June 1967 this way: • A people considered for centuries as non-fighters carried out in June, 1967 against long odds the most nearly perfect military operation in modern history. After a long period of provocation, hostile actions, and threats from its Arab neighboring countries, Israel was forced to act in self-defense. Faced with few choices, on June 4, 1967 the Cabinet authorized the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence to decide on appropriate steps to defend the State of Israel. On June 5, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and captured the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. Despite an Israeli appeal to Jordan to stay out of the conflict, Jordan attacked Israel and thereby lost control of the West Bank and the eastern sector of Jerusalem. Israel went on to capture the Golan Heights from Syria by the time the war ended on June 10. The Six-Day War start
