The Six-Day War: Impact in Middle East - Essay Example

THE SIX-DAY WAR: IMPACT IN MIDDLE EAST Module Introduction In many instances, war takes place to reshape the society or liberate people from any form of oppression. Some of the wars, however, take place as a means to an end. They are instigated by countries that have something to gain from the outcome. Wars in some of the regions such as the Middle East have been fought for the sake of safeguarding territories as well as maintaining military dominance in a region. The only way of having this done was by making sure that the accounts of the war were taken into consideration, allowing them to make better usage of every aspect taking place within the country. Ideally, the growth of the Middle East region has been shaped by many wars and conflicts, but the Six-Day War was the watershed moment. The divisions, conflicts and wars that defined the geopolitical balance of the Middle East were all shaped by the Six-Day War that took place in 1967. The six-day spring war between Egypt and Syria on one hand and Israel on the other was not bound to happen. The Soviet Union knew it had to create a diversion and foil the US plans of supporting Israel in rebuilding itself. It knew that the US wanted to have a partner in the Middle East that would allow it to shelter its weapons and use them in case the Soviet started a war during the cold war1. The support the country was receiving from the US was not received well by the Arabic countries bordering it. They were always looking for different ways of making sure that they undermined the Israeli government in everything it did. This led to the conflicts with neighbors as they sought to be the overseers of the liberation of the Palestinians living within Gaza and the West Bank. The war was to prove many of the wrong, and instill fear in others before they could even think of going to help the affected armies2. The war between Israel and Syria had been simmering for a year and the Israeli parliament made it clear it would attack if the Syrian government would not do anything to prevent the commando attacks from the Taliban who were stationed in its territory. The fickle relationship gave the Soviets a chance to achieve its goal3. By destabilizing Israel, it hoped to show the US that the Middle East was not safe for them. It knew that the simmering conflict would require a little nudge to make it blow into a fully-fledged war. The Soviets knew that if they made any move, the Arab nations would look out for each other, and the destabilization would allow the Soviet to step in as the mediator, hence undermine the US. The Soviets also hoped to destabilize the Arab countries so as to expand its territories to that area4. The Soviet took advantage of its position to advise the Egyptian president wrongfully of the impending attack Israel planned on Syria. Having shown the Syrian government of the repercussion of the attack, Syria asked for assistance from Egypt, one of the powerhouses in the region. Egypt responded swiftly by sending its troop to occupy the Sinai Peninsula that bordered Israel to the south5. This got the Israelis scared and wanted immediate action against the threats. Though the war was not as imminent, Israel had to protect itself as soon as possible. With speed, the Israeli forces used their position with the US to gain some assistance to deal with their enemies. They attacked Egypt in the areas it had occupied near its borders and wiped its air weaponry, catching the Egyptians unawares6. Within a few hours, the war had made the Egyptian and Syrian forces that the diplomatic crisis was taking place then was not helping. It aggravated war and made it more difficult to promote other means of dealing with the fallout. Jordan even joined in to help fight the Israeli forces but it was a little late. It was also attacked and defeated. The decisive defeat saw Israel cement its position as a dominant force in the Middle East7. It also used the war to claim West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and Sinai. This allowed it to have a huge territory compared to the time before the war. This gave it more room to expand its population, with some of the sources claiming that more than half a million Jews have been living in West Bank since the end of the war8. This shows that Israel was not ready to let go what it had acquired, but the ensuing wars have left millions dead. By claiming lands from its adversaries, Israel set itself on a warpath with the rest of the countries in the region. The Arabic countries were especially unhappy with the acquisitions, and vowed to regain their land at whatever the cost. The aim was to defeat the Egyptian army that had made threats of closing down strips along the border since their access was through Egyptian territories. Thinking that Nasser would not do that, he closed any access to Israel through Egyptian territory9. Incidentally, the US and Soviet advisers told Israel that the only way of achieving success after Nassers closure of the strips was by attacking within 72 hours. Within six hours, the success of the Israel Defense Forces cemented the countrys position in the region. Further, it was a platform for the Palestine Liberation Organization to position itself as ideal to fight for the rights of the Arabic Palestinians in the region. Egypt was no longer a respected Arab powerhouse after the defeat. People knew that it was now a former shadow of itself10. The people who fought the six-day war felt its importance because of the repercussions that followed thereafter. The Middle East was assured of nothing but the continued instability that was witnessed after Israel took over the Suez Canal and made it part of their territory. They knew that the only way of protecting itself was by annexing parts of its borders with other neighbors so as to ensure that they maintain their peace by protecting them fiercely11. When the UN Security Council issued a cease-fire, the Israeli army was already at the Suez Canal, and the only thing the rest would do was to respect their position. It was also noted that the Israeli army had annexed part of Jordan, all of Sinai and the Golan Heights. This meant that the country had added more than three times in territorial acquisitions, something that remains contentious today12. The country realizes that the agreement made was not as bidding because the residents who were against the Israelis would have to submit to them unwillingly because they were under their rule. The country realized that this was going to be a war that would never need, hence aligned itself with the US for technical and military support13. Within a period of six days, the geopolitical balance of the Middle East had been altered, and it was difficult to make any more changes without resulting into a war. The fact that more than one million Palestinians lived in West Bank and Gaza made the Israelis very happy because they were now in control of the lands their enemies thought was beyond their reach. The peace prevailing in that region took a turn for the worst during this period14. The formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) years earlier was not as important as the period after the war because it was the only faction noted to support and agitate for the rights of the Palestine against any oppression from other states. It was even granted an observer status at the UN, making sure that people understood its position in the region. It has continued to be the protector of all the people living in this war-torn area and continue to lead the armed struggle for the liberation of the Palestinians15. When Yasser Arafat took PLO’s leadership in 1969, his task was to make sure that the Palestinians were getting the representation they needed. The resounding defeat of Arab states during this war made them lose their credibility16. They wanted to be the patrons of the Palestinians but their defeat meant that the PLO would gain the fame and use their position to represent the people at all costs. The issue left was to acknowledge the team and grant it the mandate required to continue with the advocacy for the freedom of the Palestinians across the lands annexed by Israel17. In conclusion, so much happened within a very short period and the people living in these areas have continued to suffer or enjoy the fruits that emerged from this war. Many were unaware of the impact it had, but the Israelis have continued to fight for their position if Gaza as well as the control of Jerusalem, which is the holiest land for the Jews. However, the thoroughness and speed with which the Israelis dealt with the enemy was of a higher level and the ceasefire was a welcome relief to everyone who knew that Israel could very well annihilate any country it wished to within the shortest time possible. It redefined the Middle East and that changed the way people thought in regard to the strength and military prowess of the Israelis. Bibliography Pressfield, Steven. The Lions Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Day War. New York: Sentinel HC, 2014. Read More