By 1967 relations between Israel's neighbors in the Middle East and Israel had boiled over. The President of Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping and moved troops into the Sinai. The Golan Heights began to shell Israeli farms with Syrian artillery, while Jordan signed an agreement of defense with Egypt. Threated with extinction and surrounded, Israel chose to strike first.
Pre‑emptive air strikes: On 5 June, Israel initiated "Operation Focus," and more than 300 Egyptian ground-based air planes were destroyed within hours.
IRapid ground offensive:Israeli armor sped through Sinai while paratroops took East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan and the Golan Heights from the Syrians.
Cold War undercurrents: Includes the Soviet Union supplying weapons and advisers to Egypt and Syria while the US supplied diplomatic and limited material in support of Israel.
Territorial expansion: In six days' time, Israel's land had trebled: Sinai Desert, Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem, Golan Heights.
Mixed "winnings": On the military front, Israel won spectacularly. Politically, the occupation created new sources of tension which continue to fuel the Arab‑Israeli dispute to the present day.
Cold War impact: Moscow lost face with such complete defeat of its allies; Washington cemented its role as the strongest defender of Israel.