Status Updates From Six Days of War: June 1967 ...

“The one neat division between Arab radicals and Arab conservatives has been replaced by internal fissures…Most destabilizing, arguably, is the growth of terrorist organizations, global in outlook and adamant in their theology, transcending all borders and contemptuous of any attempt to restrain them.”

So Jewish neighborhoods were attacked in 5 countries, survivors of a pogrom in Tripoli are herded into camps, 20% of Egyptian Jews were arrested and property confiscated, and Damascus and Baghdad Jews were expelled. But 1.2 million Palestinians were protected by Israeli martial law, except 3 Latrun Corridor villages.

“After the cease-fire, Israel insisted that the 1967 refugee problem, like that of 1948 before it, would have to be solved within the framework of a comprehensive peace treaty. The Arab states uniformly rejected this demand, and insisted on unconditional repatriation and compensation for the refugees.”

Equal but opposite reaction? “Just as the Egyptian effort to spur the Soviets to intervene effectively pushed them to promote a ceasefire-fire, so, too, did the Soviet attempt to deter the Israelis drive them to accelerate their attack.”

From allies, the Arabs expected honesty - or support. “But the Arabs were hardly pleased that ‘all measures’ amounted to Soviet acceptance of a ceasefire they did not want and which permitted Israel to retain conquered Arab land.” At last, the Soviet sickle bled its own hand by being too clever.

The Egyptian rout was a complete mess of conflicting directions, cross-fire propaganda, and internal chaos. “Israel never would have achieved a quarter of its victory if not for the confusion and chaos.”

The Palestinian notables lived in a fantasy world, fueled by Radio Cairo’s mendacious boasts about aerial superiority. They made no preparations for war and told themselves that the planes circling overhead were Jordanian….until the Star of David flew over the Rockefeller Museum.

When you have five hours to gather scattered paratroopers and storm an ancient city. “The problem was not how to do it right, but how to avoid doing it terribly.”

Brigadier Zaki: “Israel spent years preparing for this war, whereas we prepared for parades…The drills for the annual Revolution Day parade went on for weeks…but there were no preparations for war.”

“‘The Belgians, writes one U.S. diplomat, ‘are waffling.’” The Canadians gave in to Arab pressure and let them set the pace about reinstalling the same UNEF that had been booted out a few years ago.

“‘The streets of Cairo looked more like a carnival than a city preparing for war’…The city was now festooned with lurid posters showing Arab soldiers shooting, crushing, strangling, and dismembering bearded, hook-nosed Jews. Cairo Radio boasted …’Millions of Arabs are preparing to blow up all of America’s interests …and your entire existence, America.’” So peaceful.