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It's now a 40-year war

Reader comment on item: The Soviets' Six-Day War

Submitted by Pat (United States), May 29, 2007 at 22:16

"Finally, forty years later, where might things be had the Soviets' Six-Day War not occurred? "

Where, indeed. Would anyone ever have heard of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan? Where would the US be if Robert Kennedy had not been killed by a Palestinian who claimed to be offended by RFK's support for Israel? Hadn't the US maintained a distance from Middle Eastern politics prior to the war? Weren't France and Britain Israel's most important allies?

Can we really call it the Soviets' war? Weren't the Egyptians and Syrians opportunists at heart? Maybe they didn't want to fight a war but they didn't shy away from it, either. They might never have initiated the war on their own but they seized the opportunity that was handed to them. They have also made the most of their defeat. They, and all Arabs, have successfully written the history that portrays them as victims. The war has gone on for four decades, with the Israelis called occupiers and the war being conducted on a lower level to erase Israel's strategic advantage. The IDF could wipe out the Egyptian Air Force but it can't go after people who throw stones and blow up pizza parlors and shopping malls. Israeli overtures to peace are considered surrender. Rocket attacks from Gaza cannot be answered without Israel being blamed for attacking "innocent civilians".

After the Islamic Revolution, Lebanon joined in. Israel's occupation of a strip of southern Lebanon in order to stop attacks on its northern cities was universally condemned. Withdrawal from Lebanon brought no benefit to Israel. We all saw the world's response to Israel's attempt to defend itself from Hezbollah in the face of an impotent Beirut goverment. Here too, Israel was considered the aggressor.

Did the Six Day War ever really end?

"However bad circumstances are at present, they would presumably be yet worse without that stunning Israeli victory."

Can't it also be said that Israel was a victim of its own success? Its seemingly easy victory almost gave it an aura of invincibility, further allowing the Arabs to paint it as the militant aggressor putting down peaceful Muslims. Its position of strength meant that Israel was expected to temper its response to attackers, where a smaller power might have been allowed to go in and crush them.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (57) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Abdallah Schleifer fake propaganda and revealing some admitted facts [592 words]NirDec 29, 2022 22:53290405
Religious conversion: A lesson for the Jews and Hindus [215 words]PrashantDec 30, 2022 19:29290405
A fascinating theory [83 words]Ephraim MargolinSep 6, 2007 14:47107949
mig25 was operative in airforce in 1972 [50 words]Tuvia Lerner (Chief editor of http://7kanal.com)Jun 21, 2007 19:20100089
1The Soviets Six Day War - USS Liberty [99 words]DavodJun 3, 2007 08:5795874
Let's Not Overblame the Soviets [483 words]Ron ThompsonJun 2, 2007 14:3795798
Interesting explanation - but the booty Israel won was mismanaged (This issue is more relevant) [158 words]James BurkeJun 2, 2007 09:5295771
Enemies within [44 words]Carl HoffmanJun 1, 2007 04:0595615
Error: Mig-25 Not Operational Until 1970 [38 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
NathanMay 31, 2007 06:1395524
Roger that [12 words]Mike DeCastroMay 31, 2007 16:4995524
Wrong Jet [66 words]Stan DaddsMay 31, 2007 05:0495521
Planes in 1967 [56 words]Jan PollerJan 22, 2008 18:0495521
"The Soviets' Six-Day War" theory and the Soviet archives [43 words]IanusMay 30, 2007 19:1495495
Questions about "Foxbats Over Dimona." [481 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Dr. Steve CarolMay 30, 2007 17:5395484
Historical fiction AKA BS [1398 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Michael DeCastroMay 30, 2007 16:2295357
SR-71A/YF-12A "Blackbird" speeds & years in service [123 words]Dan SchwartzJun 5, 2007 08:3495357
Blackbird flights [145 words]Mike DeCastroJun 5, 2007 20:4095357
Drone is at Wright-Patterson, too [112 words]Dan SchwartzJun 6, 2007 16:3795357
what you wrote ... [41 words]does not matherMar 14, 2014 08:1695357
Soviet hand?? [53 words]VijayMay 30, 2007 12:0195331
1Islamisation of Russia and Dangers for West : Act and Ally with Russia to destroy Islamism. [1384 words]NikitaMay 30, 2007 04:0195309
Russians don't have Bread, How they'll fight war? [134 words]Un DrainMay 30, 2007 18:4795309
What are Russia's leaders doing? [214 words]PatMay 30, 2007 19:3195309
Their is a lot of funding flowed from the Middle East for Russian Islamization [57 words]Egyptian ChristianMay 30, 2007 19:5995309
to Nikita [21 words]ASMay 31, 2007 07:0295309
Russia, Islam and Israel [88 words]QuaoarJun 1, 2007 03:3995309
Negative image of Muslims in Russia and other parts of the world. [153 words]Jaisingh ThakurJul 12, 2007 01:3095309
We need to take over the oil-fields of the middle east from these barbarians [70 words]Raju (India)Jun 14, 2009 23:0395309
Egypt & Syria went to the war willingly, up to most Arabs and Muslims the War is not over yet [394 words]Egyptian ChristianMay 30, 2007 02:1195303
It's now a 40-year war [382 words]PatMay 29, 2007 22:1695186
Tiran [23 words]DOV KORETMay 29, 2007 21:0595181
The ties deepen [84 words]David W. LincolnMay 29, 2007 20:1495176
Egypt Was A Willing Participant [191 words]Andrew StunichMay 29, 2007 17:4595162
Not buying it [92 words]bernardZMay 29, 2007 23:5595162
Former Soviet Ambitions - Then and Now [346 words]M. ToveyMay 29, 2007 16:0795154
Very interesting but I do not believe it! [275 words]dhimmi no moreMay 29, 2007 15:4795151
to dhimmi no more [77 words]FOXMay 30, 2007 12:4195151
I also don't believe it. [136 words]VijayMay 30, 2007 18:0395151
Thank you very much [31 words]dhimmi no moreMay 30, 2007 19:4495151
USS Liberty? [40 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Patrick HuppMay 29, 2007 15:1595148
USS Liberty, the rest of the story [792 words]Mike DeCastroMay 30, 2007 17:1695148
Very Informative [185 words]Oscar NavarroJun 3, 2007 20:2395148
3POWs and what really happens during the fog of war [1053 words]Mike DeCastroJun 4, 2007 16:3695148
Very odd theory [96 words]Y.K.Jun 5, 2007 10:1095148
Not a theory [229 words]Mike DeCastroJun 5, 2007 20:4995148
Past Prologue to Future [72 words]MichaelMay 29, 2007 14:4895145
Interesting, but . . . [242 words]Edward HalperMay 29, 2007 14:2795144
Soviet Military Intelligence officer discussed the Six-Day War 20 years ago [85 words]Wayne WagnerMay 29, 2007 14:1095141
Questionable source [168 words]Oscar NavarroJun 3, 2007 20:5095141
studying islam since 9/11 to find out why they hate us [138 words]good_barMay 29, 2007 13:5595138
I agree with good_bar [208 words]HomefrontMay 29, 2007 19:3895138
They hate us because that's what they are taught!!! [116 words]JaladhiMay 30, 2007 14:0295138
Goebbels not Stalin [87 words]Oscar NavarroJun 4, 2007 18:2495138
Agree with your conlusion - Dr. Pipes [92 words]JaladhiMay 29, 2007 13:1495134
Interesting Thesis [138 words]David FineMay 29, 2007 12:5495131
Dr. Pipes, please expound . . . [18 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PloniMay 29, 2007 11:4695125
The Reason for the Mistaken 1993 (and following) Policies [338 words]Ron ThompsonJun 2, 2007 15:1695125

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