June 5 1967 – The Six-Day War begins
The Six-Day War of 1967 was a major turning point in early years of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Apart from thrusting the Palestine Liberation Organization into prominence, the war also served to establish the State of Israel as a power to reckon with. The war commenced on June 5, 1967 and ended on June 10, 1967 in a resounding Israeli dominance. The decisive victory provided Israel a number of advantages the including recognition of Egypt, a major Arab nation and the victory over Jerusalem – a city held sacred by the Jews. The roots of the State of Israel were thus firmly established following the Six-Day War. Israel had been in a near-constant state of conflict with its Arab neighbors since its inception in 1948. The Arab nations had refused to acknowledge Israel as a state and Egypt was among the state’s greatest detractors. The 1949 Armistice Agreement was successful in preventing major warfare but the days following the Suez Crisis in 1956 saw heightened tensions in the region and necessitated the presence of UN peacekeeping forces to ensure compliance of the agreement. In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed and the organization immediately set about its agenda of unceasing guerilla warfare against Israel. The PLO launched its campaigns from various bases in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. From 1965 through 1967, the Israeli border was the scene of a series of attacks and skirmishes. Israeli retaliation followed a gradual but ominous build-up of Arab forces across the borders of the state.