Page 44 - Why Israel?

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WHY ISRAEL
child. Israel’s allies in Europe and the United States refused to intervene, and warned Israel not to start a war.
But by June 1st, it was clear that if Israel did nothing, the Arab armies on its borders would wipe out the Jewish state. Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq joined Syria and Egypt in preparations to fight Israel. Then in the early morning of June 5th, Israel’s air force launched a surprise attack on Egypt’s planes while they were still on the ground. Israel would continue to fight and win mirac- ulous victories over the enemy armies for five more days.
■ Israel
■ Held by Israel after the Six Day War
Map of land captured by Israel at the conclusion of the Six Day War.
By the end of the Six Day War, Israel had captured enough land to triple in size. The land Israel captured during the Six Day War included the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the Gaza strip, the ancient biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. And finally, after thousands of years of waiting, they liberated the Old City of Jerusalem. Most of the land Israel would eventually willingly exchange for peace agreements, but Jerusalem was too precious to give up. After 19 years of painful separation, the Jewish people again had access to their holiest sites. Under Israeli authority, Jerusalem was made safe for people of all religions to live in and freely worship
according to their own traditions.
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)