POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN ISRAEL SPRING 2019 Session 6 Maya Hadar IRE215 § The Sinai war/ Suez Crisis § The Suez canal § The crisis and its results § The Six Days War (1967) § Events leading to the war § The war and its aftermath § The Yom Kippur War (1973) § What is ‘Yom Kippur’? § The war and its aftermath § Operation “Peace for Galilee” (1982) § Buildup, goals, results On The Agenda 2 Egypt § Past occupation => Ottoman Empire, Great Britain § Independence under King Farouq (1936-1952) § 1952: A military Coup installed a revolutionary regime Command Council under Gamal Abdel Nasser (-1970) § Foreign Policies: § Pan Arab Empire from Atlantic to Persian Gulf § Supporting the Palestinian Cause § Domestic Policies: § Economic Development (socialism) + Military Rearmament, § Extreme political rhetoric Egypt § Problems => Annual flood of the mighty river Nile + irrigation during drought § Solution => Building a dam § 1902: First Aswan dam (500 miles south of Cairo) § The first Aswan dam solved the irrigation problem but could not hold back the annual flood Egypt § 1950s => Egyptian leader Nasser envisioned building a new dam across the Nile, large enough to end flooding and bring electric power to every corner of Egypt § Was promised financial support from the US and GB § July 1956 => US & US retract the offer after learning of a secret Egyptian arms agreement with the USSR § Nasser nationalized the British and French-owned Suez Canal (intended to use tolls to pay for his High Dam project) => precipitated the Suez Canal Crisis The Suez Canal § Built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French) using Egyptian forced labour § Opened to traffic in 1869 § 192km, connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean § High strategic importance!!! § 300m (984ft) wide at its narrowest point (suitable for big ships) The Suez Canal § By 1955, approximately two-thirds of Europe's oil passed through the canal § Closed in 1967 due to the Six Day War, reopened in 1975 § About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal § 1954 => Britain promises Egypt it will leave the Suez canal (and military base) in 20 months § Nasser promises freedom of navigation and permit re-entry of British forces in case of an armed attack against Arab states § June 13, 1956 => Britain hands control of canal over to Egypt § 2 weeks later => Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal Company § No Israeli ships allowed The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis § October 29, 1956 => A joint military operation was successful § The Suez Canal occupied, Israel conquers the Sinai § The US was caught off guard by attacks The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis § Britain, France and Israel hatch a plan to retake control over the canal (Nationalization of the canal threatens their oil supply) § USSR threatens Nuclear War § USA + UN demand a cease fire and the full withdrawal of Britain, France and Israel from the canal § UN troops are called in to keep the peace § 1957 => The Canal was left in Egyptian hands The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis Egypt § Nasser asserts independence from Britain § Arab Self Determination and Unity (Pan-Arabism) § Funds insurgents in other countries § Invest in expending its military § Housing Palestinian Guerillas Israel § War of Independence in 1948 § Surrounded by enemies § Supported by the USA § Strong army and military success in 1948 States involved => Egypt, Israel, France, GB the US, the USSR The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis: Recap States involved => Egypt, Israel, France, GB the US, the USSR The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis France § Protect its North African Empire (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) § Re-establish dominance in International Relations § ’Punish’ Nasser for support of Algerian insurgency Great Britain § Keep control/Multinational control over of Suez Canal § Overthrow Nasser § Maintain the Baghdad Pact The Baghdad Pact (1955- 1979) Turkey, Iraq, UK, Pakistan and Iran united in promoting shared political, military and economic goals The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis USA USSR Contain Communism Promote Communism Promote Capitalism and democracy Prevent Capitalism Protect oil Shipping lines Assist Post Colonial States $70 million in aid to build Aswan dam on the Nile The Czech arms deal with Egypt (1955: USSR supplies military arms to Egypt via Czechoslovakia Results => § Military Victory for Israel (+allies) § Egypt gets Suez Canal § Israel gains land: the Sinai region from Egypt § UN troops move into Sinai (along Egypt/Israel border) § Brings the Middle East into the Cold War § Straits of Tiran now open to Israeli shipping (Israeli ships are allowed back through) The Sinai War/Suez Canal Crisis § 1960 => Soviet loans + proceeds from Suez Canal tolls allowed Nasser to begin work on the Aswan High Dam § 57 million cubic yards of earth & rock were used to build the dam (a mass 16 times that of the Great Pyramid at Giza) What about the dam?? § July 21, 1970 => project was completed § President Nasser died of a heart attack a month later, before the dam was formally dedicated (1971) 17 The Six Day War (1967) § Main combatants => Israel, Egypt, Syria and Jordan § Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait contributed troops and arms to the Arab belligerent § Took place during the cold war § The international community + great powers were interested in the conflict, did what they could to influence events in the region The Six Day War Events Leading to Six-day War § Jan-April 1967 => 63 Arab attacks (Syrian tank fire, mines, more than 200 mortar shells, Palestinian terror attacks) heighten anxiety in Israel => Israeli military response § May 13 => After further attacks, Israeli PM Eshkol warns Syria of retaliation § May 14 => USSR delivers false information of a pending Israeli attack of Syria to Anwar al-Sadat, speaker of the Egyptian National Assembly and to Syria The Six Day War Events Leading to Six-day War § To ensure Arab alliance with the Soviet superpower § May 14 => Egypt mobilizes thousands of troops in and around the Suez Canal. Nasser finds no Israeli buildup, but continues massing troops § May 16 => Egypt moves into Sinai, demands UN peacekeepers’ withdrawal § May 17 => Egyptian reconnaissance mission over Dimona (Israeli nuclear reactor) § Israel fears destruction of the reactor The Six Day War Events Leading to Six-day War § Israel will suffer mass casualties if Egyptian air force strikes first § Yet, if Israel will move pre-emptively it may provoke the Soviet Union into joining in a war against Israel § May 18 => UN Secretary General Thant agrees to Egyptian demand to remove UNEF (Quickly and without bringing the issue to the U.N) from Sinai § May 19 => with UNEF gone, Egypt continues troop buildup in the Gaza Strip and Sinai (est. 80k men + 550 tanks) § May 22 => Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, cuts off Israel from shipping route to Asia + halts the flow of oil from Israel’s primary supplier The Six Day War Events Leading to Six-day War => ‘casus belli’ according to international law § May 23 => US President Johnson calls the blockade illegal and disastrous for peace, but warns Israel not to attack first § US needs 2 more weeks to gain international support for the Regatta Plan, an international convoy of ships to open the Straits of Tiran § Subsequent UN discussions on opening the Straits prove useless § May 24- June 4 => Six Arab countries deploy more than 230k troops close to Israel's borders § By May 29, Jordan masses 56k soldiers + 270 tanks § Syria masses 50k troops on the Golan Heights The Six Day War Events Leading to Six-day War § Israel calls up its reservists § Israel launches a desperate diplomatic campaign to win international support to end the Egyptian blockade of the Straits of Tiran § US unable to get international support for the Regatta Plan (international convoy affirming free passage through the Straits of Tiran) § May 27 => Nasser cancels ‘Operation Dawn’, planned Egyptian attack on Israel (realizing that Israel is apparently aware of their war plans, The Six Day War Events Leading to Six-day War § May 30 => Jordan & Egypt sign mutual defense pact § (Egypt already has an alliance with Syria) § May 31-June 4 => More threatening statements from Arab leaders are broadcast, including that of President Abdur Rahman Aref of Iraq: “The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified. This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy which has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear - to wipe Israel off the map” The Six Day War § June 5 => Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against the Egyptian army and air force § The Six-Day War involved three distinct battlefronts (Jordan, Egypt, Syria) § Egypt’s air force was quickly crippled + Israel conquered Gaza and the Sinai peninsula (from Egypt) in four days § Following false reports of Egyptian success, Jordan attacks from the eastern portion of Jerusalem and the West Bank The Six Day War § After a three days => Israeli forces defeated the Jordanians and gained control of all of Jerusalem + the West Bank (the historical heartland of the Jewish people known to Israelis as Judea and Samaria) § First day of the war=> Syrian air force attacked, on the fifth day: the battle over the (Syrian) Golan Heights; Israel wins and the war terminated the following day § Terminated the war the next day Post Six Day War Results: § The results of the war affect the geopolitics of the region to this day § Israeli Military Victory § Israel Gains Territory n The Sinai Peninsula and Gaza from Egypt n The Golan Heights from Syria n The West Bank from Jordan n East Jerusalem from Jordan § Many Palestinians lose faith in the ability of Arab countries to recapture their land, turn to terrorism and PLO Israel before and after the 6 Day War Post Six Day War § Important milestone for Israel => gained control over east Jerusalem, the old city + the Western Wall: holiest site § “For some two thousand years the Temple Mount was forbidden to the Jews. Until you came — you, the paratroopers — and returned it to the bosom of the nation. The Western Wall, for which every heart beats, is ours once again ... Endless words of longing have expressed the deep yearning for Jerusalem that beats within the Jewish heart… You have been given the great privilege of completing the circle, of returning to the nation its capital and its holy center...Jerusalem is yours forever.” –Commander Gur to his brigade upon recapture of Jerusalem’s Old City and holy sites Post Six Day War § Having escaped feared annihilation + won a seemingly miraculous victory, Israel's leaders vowed: § Not to return to the vulnerable armistice lines of 1948 + a divided Jerusalem § To be "unbelievably generous in working out peace terms" (Foreign Min Abba Eban) § Israel's belief that the war had come to an end and peace would prevail along the borders was quickly dispelled => Three weeks later: incident along the Suez Canal § Israel offers to return most territory (not Jerusalem) in exchange for peace § Late June through July => the Soviet Union initiated a massive resupply of arms to Egypt and Syria Post Six Day War § July 15 => five Arab leaders agreed on the ‘necessary effective steps to eliminate the consequences of imperialist Israeli aggression on the Arab homeland” § Egypt tried to convince the world that they had been victimized by Israel § July 23 => Nasser: 'We shall never surrender and shall not accept any peace that means surrender’ § August 29- Sep 1st => 13 Arab leaders meet at Khartoum (Sudan), pledge to continue their struggle against Israel § Issue the “3 no’s”/Khartoum declaration: No recognition of Israel, No negotiations with Israel, No peace with Israel Post Six Day War § 'maintenance of the rights of the Palestinian people in their nation' § October 21 => Egyptian missile boat sunk the Israeli destroyer ‘Eilat’, killing 47 people § Nov 25 => UN Resolution 242: ‘land for peace’ paradigm § Required Israel and its Arab neighbors to conclude peace treaties in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory § Used as a centerpiece in future negotiations (the Oslo Accords, the "Road Map" peace plan) Post Six Day War § November + December => Arab states repeatedly refuse to negotiate with Israel (attempts made by Sweden's ambassador to the Soviet Union, also UN secretary general's special envoy) § The "three no's of Khartoum" held for a dozen years, until Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel § The other 20 member states expelled it from the Arab League § Israeli Overconfidence => military ability believed to be superior Post Six Day War § Initial Peace efforts (following UN resolution 242) proved unsuccessful => § The Jarring initiatives (1967-1971) § The Rogers Plan (1969) § October 6, 1973 =>, Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked Israeli forces in Sinai and the Golan Heights in an effort to regain territory they had lost during the 1967 war. 36 Yom Kippur § Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for religious Jews § Literally means “Day of Atonement”, based on the verse: “For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G-d” (Leviticus 16:30) § Celebrated on the 10th day of Tishrei (first month in the Jewish calendar) § Lasts for about 26h (from sunset until nightfall the next day) Yom Kippur § Proceeds ‘Rosh Hashanah’ (the Jewish New Year) § Like Shabbat, no work is to be done on Yom Kippur § Jews “afflict their souls” § Abstain from food and drink § Do not wash or apply lotions/creams § Do not wear leather footwear § Day of prayer in synagogues= pray for forgiveness Yom Kippur Biblical origin => § Several months after the people of Israel left Egypt they sinned by worshipping a golden calf § Moses ascended Mount Sinai and prayed to God to forgive them § After 80 days full Divine favor was obtained and Moses came down the mountain (on the 10th of Tishrei) - Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur Yom Kippur War (1973) Aka October 1973 War § Lasts 3 weeks § New Egyptian president Anwar Sadat ( + Syria) plan a war against Israel § Wants the Sinai peninsula back, Syria wants the Golan Heights back (1967) § Soviets Supplied the Egyptians with modern weapons (missiles) § Israeli leadership ignores military intelligence/no intelligence => Surprise attack of Egypt & Syria on Yom Kippur (Holiest day of Jewish calendar) § Israel is pretty much shut down as Jews are in Temple, Fasting § Israel is caught off guard Yom Kippur War (1973) Beginning of the war => § Egypt & Syria secured victories in the Sinai + Golan § Israeli positions in the eastern Golan fell to the advancing Syrian army § Israeli troops had to withdraw from many positions in the southern sector of the Golan Heights due to a lack of tanks and manpower § Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal and overran the Israeli military's extensive fortifications, forcing the Israelis back Yom Kippur War (1973) Israel Counter-Attacks => § Within 3 days, Israel was able to contain the threat on both fronts § Change tactics, biggest Tank Battle Ever § On the forth day: US sent a full-scale airlift of military equipment § Restock Israeli forces § Enabled Israel to launch an offensive that retook most of it territorial losses and even gained some ground against both the Egyptians and Syrians § As the war progressed, Israel is winning, the Israeli army moves towards the Egyptian capital (Cairo) Yom Kippur War (1973) The End of the War => § October 22 => UN called for a ceasefire, Israel won’t stop fighting § October 25 + 26 => The USSR threatens to send troops to Egypt (to support the Egyptian army) unless Israel stops § US/Nixon raise alert level § Threatened to send US forces if the Soviets get involved § Pressured Israel into obeying the cease-fire (Fearing escalation into global conflict) § Israel accepts a cease-fire and retreat its soldiers from Egypt Results § Israel Gains Territory § Sadat wins major political victory § Showed they could fight + regained half of Sinai § Sets the stage for the Egyptian/Israeli peace talks: Camp David Accords Post Yom Kippur War § US re-examined its policy in the Middle East: Settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict became a top priority § Henry Kissinger (US Secretary of State) embarked on a negotiation mission: "shuttle diplomacy”, led to disengagement agreements signed between Israel and Egypt (1974, 1975) + a similar agreement between Israel and Syria (1994) Post Yom Kippur War Results § UN troops sent to Sinai to watch over the border § In response to US airlift, oil embargo against the US, organized by the Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Buildup: Operation “Peace for Galilee” § Operation “Peace for Galilee” (1982), Aka the (first) Lebanon War § Tension along Israel's northern border increased during the 1970's and early 1980's => frequent firing of rockets and terrorist attacks against Israeli civilian targets by the PLO § The PLO created an informal state-within-a-state in Lebanon (after being forced out of Jordan in 1970) The Palestine Liberation Organization (es. 1964) was the embodiment of the Palestinian national movement. It is an umbrella organization, comprised of numerous organizations of the resistance movement (political parties, popular organizations, independent persons). The legitimate representative of the Palestinian people § A ceasefire with Palestinian terrorists in Lebanon (declared in July 1981) was broken § Continuous shooting of missiles against Israeli targets in Israel § The threat to the northern settlements in Israel became unbearable § Last strew: 3 June 1982 => the Palestinian Abu Nidal organization (aka Fatah Revolutionary Council, part of the PLO) shot and seriously wounded Israel's ambassador to the UK § 6 June 1982 => the IDF launched a military operation in Lebanon § Full-scale invasion of Lebanon meant to remove the military threats from northern Israel Buildup: Operation “Peace for Galilee” Operation “Peace for Galilee” (1982) Goals => § Destroying PLO's forces + based in southern Lebanon (on Israel’s border) § End Syrian presence and influence in southern Lebanon § Assist in forming a more friendly government in Lebanon that would be able to sign a peace treaty with Israel § Only partial Success During the operation § Israel reaches Beirut (capital) within a week § IAF’s major achievement => the destruction of the Syrian air force within a matter of hours (25 Syrian planes were shot down): Syrian air defense was effectively nonexistent § End of June => enlargement of the operation § Israel captured most of southern Lebanon + besieged PLO and Syrian forces Operation “Peace for Galilee” (1982) Results § The PLO leadership and its forces were expelled from Lebanon (Tunisia became the new PLO headquarters) § Yet, other terrorist organizations (e.g. the newly formed Shi'ite organization, Hizballah, an Iranian proxy) continued to attack Israel from southern Lebanon Operation “Peace for Galilee” (1982) Hizballah (the “Party of God”) is a a Lebanon-based Shia terrorist group, advocates Shia empowerment globally. Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon § September 14, 1982 => Lebanese President Gemayel was assassinated, civil war in Lebanon § May 17, 1983 => A (Us brokered) peace agreement was signed between Israel and Lebanon but wasn’t ratified by the Lebanese government § The Christian government of fragmented Lebanon was too weak to prevail § Daily ambushes against Israeli forces increased + increase in casualties § 1,216 IDF soldiers killed between 5 June 1982 and 31 May 1985 § Shift in national consensus => first time in the history of Israel that the justification & conduct and of war was debated Post Operation “Peace for Galilee” § ‘A War of Choice’, a term coined by Prime Minister Menahem Begin, unlike all previous wars, which were perceived as dire necessities § The failure of Operation Peace of Galilee to achieve its objective + new national coalition government (1984) => decision to withdraw from Lebanon Post Operation “Peace for Galilee” § 1985 => IDF forces pulled back to a security zone in southern Lebanon (narrow strip of territory adjacent to Israel's border) to protect Israeli towns & villages in the Galilee Post Operation “Peace for Galilee” § May 2000 => IDF forces withdrew completely from Lebanon § Nominal force was left behind to help the citizens of south Lebanon patrol the Security Zone) Next Session... 54 § Israeli Democracy and Political system 55 Thank You For Your Attention! Questions???