THE FORGOTTEN LESSONS OF THE SIX DAY WAR
On June 5th the world will commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Israel's victory in the Six Day War. This was one of the most convincing conventional military accomplishments of the twentieth century, one which removed the threat of annihilation from the Jewish State for the following four decades.
During May 1967, Egypt's dictator Gamal Abdel Nasser and the leaders of Syria, apparently misled by carefully fed Soviet disinformation, mobilized their armies, and kicked out UN peacekeepers from Sinai. Nasser proclaimed that "the Jews would be thrown into the Mediterranean." "Our basic objective will be to destroy Israel," he vowed on May 26.
Against all odds, tiny Israel triumphed over the combined armed forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
The key to Israel's victory was recognition that the survival of the nation was at stake. This led to full mobilization of the state and the people; and creation of a government of national unity. Both the people and its leaders had no choice but to become heroes overnight.
Israel's continued existence depends on its leaders remembering and not forgetting the lessons of the Six Day War.