June 1967 Arab Refugees The deep divide between the “inside” and the “outside” was substantially widened by the astounding social and economic progress made by the Palestinian population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under Israeli occupation. At its inception, conditions in the territories were bleak. Life expectancy was low, malnutrition, infectious diseases, […]
June 1, 1967 Islam Says No to Jewish Homeland and State of Israel Liberation of Palestine King Hussein of Jordan: “There is no doubt that I expect further cooperation with Egypt and with other Arab States both in the East and in the West, a cooperation based on mutual frankness. With this achieved, we will […]
From the Order of the Day Issued by General Abdul Muhsin Murtagi, Commander of the Egyptian Eastern Front: “The world now awaits you. You are about to enter the holiest of battles for your Arab homeland against the Israeli aggression and imperialism. The world awaits your holy struggle for the retrieval of the plundered right. […]
June 4, 1967 The Six-Day War President Nasser of Egypt: “…We are facing you in the battle and are burning with desire for it to start, in order to obtain revenge. This will make the world realize what the Arabs are and what Israel is…” Source: 21, p. 11.
June 4, 1967 The Six-Day War Iraq joined the military alliance with Egypt, Jordan and Syria. President Abdur Rahaman Aref of Iraq added these words to the mountain of provocation: “The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified. This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy which has been with us […]
Liberation of Palestine/ Jihad “The Voice of the Arabs” Radio, Cairo: “Destroy them and lay them waste and liberate Palestine. Your hour has come. Woe to you Israel. The Arab nation has come to wipe out your people and to settle the account. This is your end, Israel. All the Arabs must take revenge for […]
“You know that popular wars of liberation are not conducted by planes and tanks. The source of strength of such wars is iron resolve, the absolute determination and faith in liberty. The Arab people have irrevocably decided to win whatever the price.” Source: 40, p. 16.
“We are facing you in the battle and are burning with desire to revenge the 1956 treachery. This will make the world realize what the Arabs are and what Israel is. It will also learn that the Arab soldier is a brave and tough fighting soldier and that the Arab people are a sacrificing, brave […]
A combination of bellicose Arab rhetoric, threatening behavior and, ultimately, an act of war left Israel no choice but preemptive action. To do this successfully, Israel needed the element of surprise. Had it waited for an Arab invasion, Israel would have been at a potentially catastrophic disadvantage. While Nasser continued to make speeches threatening war, […]
The Arab rhetoric was matched by the mobilization of Arab forces. Approximately 250,000 troops (nearly half in Sinai), more than 2,000 tanks and 700 aircraft ringed Israel (Chaim Herzog, The Arab-Israeli Wars, NY: Random House, 1982, p. 149). By this time, Israeli forces had been on alert for three weeks. The country could not remain […]