In 1967, the Middle East was boiling. Arab nations united to eliminate Israel. Egypt, Jordan, and Syria signed a defense agreement, coordinated their moves, and began aggressive actions that threatened the young state of Israel.

On the Jordanian front, Jerusalem was divided, and access to Jewish holy sites, primarily the Western Wall, was completely denied. Moreover, Jordanian soldiers conducted sniper fire against Israeli civilians, which increased tensions in the city.

In the north, Syria turned the Golan Heights into a base for attacks. It positioned artillery and rained shells on Israeli settlements in the Galilee. Additionally, it attempted to divert the Jordan River’s sources to dry Israel of water.

But the most dangerous front was in the south. Egypt, which led the Arab struggle, concentrated large military forces in the Sinai Peninsula, evacuated UN forces from the area, and blocked the Straits of Tiran – Israel’s vital maritime passage to the Indian Ocean. The blockade was seen as a declaration of war.

After a “waiting period” and many failed diplomatic attempts to prevent war, Israel understood that a combined confrontation from multiple fronts was inevitable and decided not to wait. On June 5, 1967, Israel preempted with “Operation Focus” – a precise air strike that destroyed most of the air forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria within hours. Israeli air superiority decided the battle.

Simultaneously, ground forces launched an offensive. Within days, the IDF conquered the Sinai Peninsula and reached the Suez Canal. On the Jordanian front, despite Israel’s attempts to avoid confrontation, Jordan opened fire along the entire front. In response, Israeli forces took control of Judea and Samaria and liberated Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Temple Mount.

In the north, the Syrians continued to shell northern settlements, and toward the end of the war, the IDF launched an attack on the Golan Heights. Within just two days, the entire area was under Israeli control.

Just six days changed the map of the Middle East. Israel tripled its territory and captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. The war strengthened Israel’s regional status and demonstrated its military power. However, it created a new political reality: the territories captured in the war remained at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to this day, raising questions of sovereignty, security, and future political solutions.

Furthermore, this overwhelming military victory changed the way the world views Israel – from a small state in danger of existence to a significant regional power. The war led to peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan but also to feelings of revenge and anger in the Arab world, which erupted again in the Yom Kippur War six years later.

The effects of the Six-Day War are still felt today – in Israel’s borders, its international status, and the security and political reality of the entire Middle East.