Which directly led to the first armed conflict between Arabs and Israelis

The first, almost universally accepted at the time, was that Egypt intended to destroy Israel – an irrational explanation given the military balance of power. There were three main theories for the short crisis between 13 May and 4 June.

This, with Israel’s clear military superiority, led experts to believe that though peace might be impossible, war was unlikely. There was wide division in the Arab world, then in full cold war confrontation between “progressives” and “conservatives” (or “reactionaries” according to the progressives). It is likely that Israel publicly overestimated the Egyptian threat to get its first major arms delivery from the United States, plus a guarantee of support in the event of an Arab attack. But its support was only verbal and Israeli bombing forced Syria to cease its construction work.īoth Israel and Gamal Abdel Nasser’s United Arab Republic (UAR, the 1958-61 union between Egypt and Syria which ended with a Syrian coup) were in an arms race that stressed their economies.

True, tension had risen after Israel began diverting the Jordan river in 1964 and Syria countered with its own diversion plan, backed in principle by Lebanon and Jordan.

Few foresaw any major risk of renewed armed conflict between Arabs and Israelis early in 1967.

Which directly led to the first armed conflict between Arabs and Israelis