What event caused Israel to annex the Sinai peninsula, the Golan Heights, Jerusalem, and the West Bank?
1 Answer
The Six Day War
Explanation:
The time leading up to the Six Day War was and escalation to war. Guerrilla operations against Israel increased as did large scale reprisals by Israel.
A large scale air battle between Syria and Israel occurred. Egypt supported Syria by mobilizing its Army, getting United Nations peacekeeping forces out of the Sinai, and blockading the Israeli Port at Elat.
War was probably inevitable at this point and Israel struck first.
Starting with Egypt they destroyed the majority of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground and seized the Sinai with their ground forces. They moved next to Jordanian forces and seized the West Bank and Jerusalem. Moving on to Syria they took the Golan Heights.
This complete victory changed the nature of the conflict greatly in the Middle East. Many Palestinians lived in the these newly captured areas. The long rebuild to the Yom Kippur War began for the Arabic forces. Israel was to suffer a near defeat then partly because of the complacency that developed in the armed forces and government.
This military success continues to challenge Israel today as it continues to struggle with what to do with the Occupied Territories.
