On June 5th 1967 the Israeli Air Force launched a surprise attack on Egypt. Six days later on June 11th a ceasefire was signed with Egypt, Jordan, and Syria after the area under Israeli control tripled. Israel now controlled Gaza, the West Bank, Sinai, and the Golan Heights.
Israel’s 1967 victory is something to celebrate, or so claims Michael B. Oren in the New York Times. Yes, the 1967 victory changed the narrative. After 1967 the international community no longer questioned Israel’s survival and this fact ultimately lead to the successful peace accords with Egypt and Jordan. It changed the Arab-Israeli conflict to a Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
A counter piece, How the 1967 War Came Home to Me, in the New York Times talks about the extreme suffering the Palestinians have endured. I certainly agree the Palestinians have suffered needlessly. Had they accepted the 1948 UN Partition Plan and rejected violence, there today would be a peaceful Palestinian state.
I reject the settlements and think they are a hinderance to peace. I wrote that Israeli settlements must go. However, I don’t believe they are the biggest obstacle to peace. The continued resistance to recognizing and accepting a Jewish state by the Palestinians is that insurmountable obstacle. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine has said that he will never accept a Jewish State.
This isn’t about racism against non-Jews or apartheid. This is about establishing a homeland for a historically persecuted race. In fact, 100 years ago the Balfour Declaration by the British government created support for Jewish homeland in Palestine while still support the civil rights of non-jews. The Arabs, including the Palestinians, have consistently rejected this at every opportunity. After the Holocaust, international support only grew especially due to guilt of turning away Jewish refugees.
The Six Day War only concreted the permanency of the Israeli state. Still yet, the Palestinians refuse to recognize its purpose as a haven, a homeland. Israel, which for decades has existential worries, has every right to focus on security. I’ll reiterate that I think the settlements are a hinderance and a hardship to the Palestinians. However, the best security is recognition. So it is about time Palestinians recognized Israel as the Jewish homeland.