Critical Junctures in the Middle East Conflict

                                                                                         

From both Arab and Israeli perspectives, 1967 became the defining date in the more than century old Middle East conflict. More so even than the 1947-49 Palestinian exodus, categorized recently by Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe, as “ethnic cleansing” and known by the Palestinians more opaquely as al-Nakba (“the catastrophe”). In that period, between 750,000 and 800,000 Palestinians either fearfully fled their homes (temporarily they thought) or were driven out by Israeli forces. Since then precious few have been able to return.
But what happened during the June 1967 Six Day War created a problematic new reality for Israel and the remaining Palestinians that only extended the seething and suffering.

While the Israelis’ unforeseen capture of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan Heights gave them 30% more territory, it created infinitely more potential for conflict with its additional one million Arab residents.

At the time, according to Israel’s future state president, Chaim Herzog, the Israeli cabinet voted to return the Sinai and the Golan to Egypt and Syria (see Heroes of Israel, 1989). The offer was to be conveyed by the United States, but apparently never reached the two Arab states.

Subsequent debate within Israeli circles about what to do with the captured West Bank found Israel’s veteran former prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, recommending its return. He saw no possibility of maintaining a demographic edge by incorporating so many Palestinians into Israel.

The problem of absorbing the West Bank in the event of a crisis with Jordan had occupied Israeli strategists months before the war. Their evaluation that it would be unwise and lead to many difficulties for Israel, domestically and internationally, is confirmed by Israeli journalist and historian, Tom Segev, in his just published book, 1967.

Sadly, the rest is painful history.

About the author:
David Hulme holds a doctorate in International Relations from the University of Southern California with an emphasis on the Middle East. He's the author of "Identity, Ideology and the Jerusalem Question" and the blog, Causes of Conflict. He is president of Vision Media Productions and chairman of Vision.org Foundation. Please email at dhulme@vision.org.

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