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Intermittent Warfare
Israel and its Arab neighbors continued to be in a state of continuous tension as the Arab states refused to recognize Israel as a legitimate nation and constantly threatened it sovereignty. -
Sezuire of the Suez Canal and Blockade of Israel
In 1956, President Nasser of Egypt seized the Suez Canal from Britain and France. This ignited tensions in the region. Additionally, Egypt began to blockade Israeli shipping, considered under international law to be an act of war. This ignited a huge outcry from France, Britain and Israel which launched a preemptive strike upon Egypt to regain control. -
The Six Day War
A decade later the third Arab-Israeli War took place known as the Six Day War. It was started because Nasser viewed Israel as the enemy of Egypt and made alliances with other Arab states. He then sent troops into the Sinai and closed Israel's outlet to the Red Sea. Because of these actions by its neighbors, Israel decided to act. In just 6 days following a preemptive strike upon airbases and pre-selected targets across the middle east, Israel achieved a resounding victory with few casualties. -
The Aftermath of the Six Day War
Following the defeat of the Arab nations in the Six Day War Israel now controlled huge swaths of land including the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It also occupied the Egyptian Sinai and Syria's Golan Heights, a hill region that looks down on northern Israel. It was a humiliating loss for the Arab nations and one that they still havent forgotten to this day.
