"Today's war is not a new war but part of an old war." King Hussein of Jordan, June 1967
    The Arab world, convinced that the creation of Israel was nothing more then imperial Britain displacing Arabs, never accepted the sovereignty of Israel, convincing themselves that the new nation would continue the imperial the British spirit of imperialism and attempt to take more territory. Arab fears seemed to be justified after the Arab Israeli war of 1948, in which Israel attempted to take complete control of Jerusalem and gained significant new territory through the armistice signed at the conclusion of the war,. While not harboring any malevolance towards the Jewish people, many Arab countries continued to harbor resentment at what they saw as the occupation of Arab land by Israel, and fear at future incursions on other Arab land. The Arab world continued to pressure Israel by restricting its airpspace and shipping options. Terrorist activity against Israel and Israeli retaliations both violated the armistice of 1949.
    In 1956, with the military and political support of the British and the French, Israel invaded the Sinai peninsula in an attempt to capture the Suez Canal, recently nationalized by Egypt and now blocked to Israeli shipping. After significant military gains, the British ended hostilities in November of 1956, with France and Israel following suit shortly after. A UN peacekeeping force was put in place on the peninsula, and in March of 1957, Israel withdrew its remaining troops from Sinai.

Israel

 Arabs

Moshe Dayan


Yitzhak Rabin


Uziel Narkiss
Gamal Abdel Nasser


King Hussein bin Talal


Hafez al-Assad





1956

 -Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula and is replaced by a UN peacekeeping force. Egypt reopens the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping.

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

 -Syria secedes from Egypt.

1962

1963

 -National Council of the Revolutionary Command, led by the Baath party, comes to power in Syria

1964

 -Israel begins withdrawing water from the Israel Water Carrier project for potable water and agriculture.

1965

 -Syria begins the Headwater Diversion Plan, planning to divert the flow of the Banias Stream before it reached the Sea of Galilee, significantly impacting the water flow in the Israeli Water Carrier project.
-Israeli Defense Forces directly attack the Headwater Diversion project, initiating border tensions and sporadic violent clashes.
-Syria routinely shells Israel from locations in the Golan Heights.

1966

 -Syrian President Amin Hafiz is removed from power and replaced with a civilian Baath government

1966

 -Egypt and Syria agree to a military alliance
-The "Samu Incident," Israeli border patrol hit by mine on Jordanian border. Israel directs message to King Hussein declaring that Israel intends no violence towards Jordan. Israel attacks West Bank village of Es Samu.

1967

 -Border skirmishes between Israel and Syria over the border at the Golan Heights result in the loss of six Syrian aircraft
-Egypt ejects UN peacekeeping forces
-Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping
-Israel executes pre-emptive air strike against Egyptian targets
-Israel invades Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, and West Bank
-Israeli Defense Forces capture East Jerusalem

References