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Tempus Fugit Memento Mori - Time Flies Remember Death
The crucible of modern terrorism – the Arab defeat in 1967.
Muslims only had one option left.
by StFerdIII
Martin Gilbert, Barbara Tuchman and others have commented and written extensively about the massive importance of the Israeli victory in the 6 day war of 1967 and how it helped shape the last 40 years of history. Israel's lightning victory shattered the Arab hope that they could eradicate or even dominate the Jewish state. As Barbara Tuchman stated, '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.' Defeated yet again by the small Jewish state, the Arabs and Muslims were forced into uncoventional war and tactics of terror, the 1967 war was really the West's war.
There are many lessons from the 1967 conflict.
First, pre-emption works. If the Jews had not attacked first, overwhelming Arab power might have resulted in an Arab victory – however improbable that may sound given the general lack of Arab military skill.
Second, the various Arab 'freedom' organisations found just before and after the 1967 war, were built by terrorists and fascists not for liberating 'Arabs' but for murdering Jews. Yet these groups receive widespread international support even as they invent stories of Jew inspired oppression, apartheid and hardship. The opposite is of course true.
Third, Israel's victory was based in part on US and French support meaning that Israel's survival would always depend in part on Western aid. Forgoeing that responsibility in the future will entail the destruction of the Jewish state and a further emboldening of fascist Islam and a sick Arab culture of death and hate.
Pre-emption is valid. One day a pre-emptive attack will occur against Iran – it must. In 1967 the Jews found themselves surrounded by Arab armies 5 times the size of their own rather unprofessional forces. For the previous 5 years Israel had received threats, rocket attacks, and provocations from Arab states who refused to recognise its right to existence. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq had formed an alliance with the express objective of annihilating the Jewish state. Forces were thus mobilised on all the land borders the Arab states shared with the Jewish state.
Israel had no option but a pre-emptive strike. On June 5, 1967 Israel directed its forces against Egypt and captured the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. Israeli appealed to Jordan to stay out of the conflict and was ignored. Jordan attacked Israel and soon lost its control of the West Bank of the Jordan river and the eastern sector of Jerusalem. Syrian forces attacked Israel in the north but were quickly repulsed and Israel went on to capture the Golan Heights from Syria by the time the war ended on June 10. In short the Jewish military and social complex – using largely outdated equipment purchased from the French and Americans – had destroyed Arab armies totalling ½ million men outfitted with the latest Russian technology. Israel had won an important Cold War proxy fight.
The speed and scope of Israel’s victory was of course devastating to the Arabs who had forecasted a cheap and easy victory. Egypt, Jordan, and Syria lost almost all of their air forces and much of their armor. Some 10,000 Egyptians were killed in Sinai and Gaza alone, compared with 300 Israeli casualties. Jordan lost about 6000 men, Syria approximately 1000, and Israel a total of just 700. The Russians who had strongly supported the Arabs, were humiliated.
The consequences of the victory were vast. Russian power was shown to be limited. Arab incompetence was magnified. Jewish systems, society and culture were proven superior. Muslim racism and barbarity in refusing to recognise a small and legitimate state were easily appparent for anyone who bothered to look with objectivity at the status of Israel.
Yet post-war the UN and others tried to limit the Jewish state and its victory. The UN and Europeans along with their Arab allies have demanded for decades that Israel return the 'occupied territories'. Land seized in a defensive war to build a security perimeter for a small state is not 'occupied', it is securitized. The Arabs and Palestinians post-war, immediately declared their intention to continue fighting Israel. Israel and Egypt continued to engage in lower level military conflict until the mid 1970s. And of course terrorism and murdering civilians escalated precipitously resulting in 2 intifada's and thousands of dead innocent Jews.
The world would be a far different and more dangerous place if the Arabs had succeeded in wiping out the Jewish state in 1967. Israel's victory was a watershed event. The Arabs would never be able to defeat Israel in a conventional military encounter. Terrorism thus became the tool of choice. Arafat and the PLA, Hizbollah, Hamas and other organisations truly started to develop in the mid 1960s and in the aftermath of the Arab defeat in 1967.
It was also clear that for Israel to survive, it needed the patron support of the US. US aid in technology, finance and military hardware was essential if Israel was to maintain its lead over the Arabs. Israel`s nuclear capability for instance – received largely with US patronage - and its resolve to use such weapons to defend itself against another Arab invasion is a decisive fact preventing yet another assault and outrage against the Jewish state by Muslim fascists.
The 1967 war is important for its after effects and also for showing what works in the middle east. Apathy, cowardice, land-for-peace deals; `hoping things will improve` or having dunces like Jimmy Carter talk to fascist groups is not how you secure your interests or those of civilisation. Understand the enemy and act accordingly should be the motto. Pre-emptive attacks against Arab and Muslim states which threaten our interests is moral, necessary and valid. The 1967 war is a template for how to do it.
