by david akov
Forty years have passed since the Six–Day War.
As a child at the time, I remember the long anxious wait before the war, then the great sense of relief and pride after the short war was over.
That war was a dramatic, watershed event in the short history of Israel and the long history of the Jewish people. Some would even argue that with the unification of Jerusalem and controlling the holiest Jewish sites, the Six-Day War continued the miraculous act of the founding of Israel and re-establishing Jewish sovereignty after 2,000 years.
It is important to remember today the sense of vulnerability and isolation Israelis felt just before the war. It seemed that Israel was left alone to her fate. Parks in Tel Aviv were converted into makeshift cemeteries in anticipation of tens of thousands of dead. Arab rhetoric about destroying Israel was real, especially since it was backed by larger armies, equipped with more planes, tanks and cannons.
In its aftermath, the swift victory brought a realization that Israel is not a temporary entity that could soon be destroyed, but a permanent presence in the Middle East. This slow realization laid the basis for the peace agreements Israel signed with Egypt and Jordan, and for the idea of a two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
In the 19 years before 1967, peace with any Arab state and recognition of Israel was considered a pipe dream.
Israel’s control of Jerusalem ended 19 years of separation between Jews and their holiest sites. Jews could not visit the Western Wall, the Mount of Olives cemetery or the Jewish Quarter, under Jordanian control, between 1948 and 1967. The Six-Day War brought open access to all of Jerusalem’s holy sites for worshippers of all religions.
The Israeli victory in 1967 caught the imagination of Jews all over the world and laid the foundation for closer, stronger ties between communities in the diaspora and Israel. Time and again I hear from friends in the Jewish community that Israel’s victory in 1967 sparked their interest in and support of Israel. For some, it was a major factor in shaping their Jewish identity. Many decided to visit Israel after the war; some stayed and became Israelis.
After the war, the issue of the territories became the defining factor of Israeli politics. A long, bitter debate started on what should be done with these territories. The majority of the territories were returned to Egypt as part of the Camp David accord.
Israel left Gaza in 2005. Polls today suggest that most Israelis are supporting a two-state solution with the Palestinians, with serious territorial compromises. Most Israelis believe Israel should not control a large Palestinian population against their will. Unfortunately, we do not seem to have today a counterpart on the Palestinian side to allow us to translate these views into a peace agreement.
So how can we sum up the 40 years since the Six-Day War? Well, Israel is stronger militarily and economically than in 1967. The years after the war opened Israel to the world and prepared it to be the globally integrated country it is today. The Israel Defense Forces started relying on American arms after years of relying on French military hardware. A sophisticated local technical–military industry started building up, contributing to the country’s high-tech success years later.
Jerusalem changed from a divided city of a little more then 100,000 inhabitants on the Jewish side to the largest city in Israel with more then 700,000 people. It is the center of government, spirituality and higher learning. It is truly a world-class city, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Israel is not isolated as it was in 1967. It has peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, two neighboring countries with the longest borders. Israel has the close support of the world’s only superpower and has good relations with the major countries in Europe and Asia.
Still, Israel has major challenges ahead. I hope the achievements and lessons of the Six-Day War and its aftermath would enable us to deal in the best way possible with the upcoming challenges of the next 40 years.
David Akov is the consul general of Israel for the Pacific Northwest region.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California