'Six Day War' a Turning Point for Israel, but Challenges Remain 50 Years Later

 

STATE DEPARTMENT — 

June 5th marks the 50th anniversary of a preemptive Israeli airstrike that destroyed the Egyptian air force on the ground, paving the way for Israel to defeat Egypt, Jordan and Syria in what came to be known as the "Six Day War."

Israel’s lightning victory over its Arab neighbors in June of 1967 stunned¹ the world and surprised even the Israelis themselves. Most analysts³ agree that the Six Day War transformed the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Middle East as a whole, and U.S.-Israeli ties forever.

Tamara Cofman Wittes, a Middle East expert with the Brookings Institution, listed some of the far-reaching changes that followed the conflict in 1967: “You know, the Israeli pushback of the combined Arab armies and the conquest of territory suddenly gave Israel cards to play in negotiations⁵ with the Arab states that it did not have before. There's a direct line from the 1967 war’s outcome in Israel's conquest of Sinai and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty.”

“And in some ways, it was the defeat in 1967 and the need to get the Sinai back that helped shift Egypt out of the Soviet⁶ orbit toward the United States," Cofman Wittes added. "And ultimately, to get Egypt to conclude that historic peace with Israel, which really changed the fundamental reality of the Arab-Israeli conflict and began a diplomatic process led by the United States that we are still involved in today.”

Sarah Yerkes, another Middle East expert, works for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In her view, it is key that Israel won control of Jerusalem and increased the buffer⁷ zone separating the Jewish state from its neighbors: “At that time in 1967, when you have enemies coming from all sides, expanding your territory is important, just militarily and strategically.”

However, that expansion meant that Israel was suddenly controlling a large Palestinian population. The occupied territory and the claims by both Israelis and Palestinians for their own independent state form the crux⁸ of the unresolved conflict five decades later. Two generations of Israelis and Palestinians have never known anything but physical and psychological separation, and that has framed their views.

“Young Israeli and Palestinian are more skeptical⁹ than their parents and grandparents of the prospects¹⁰ for a two-state solution," said Cofman Wittes. "Majorities of Israelis and Palestinians still prefer a two-state outcome to any other outcome of their conflict. But they believe less and less that it’s going happen in their lifetimes.”

The Brooking⁴ Institution analyst² said that skepticism is a real obstacle to any leader who might want to take big steps toward peace.

During a recent visit to Israel, President Donald Trump¹¹ said he is personally committed to helping¹² Israelis and Palestinians achieve a peace agreement, and that he believes leaders on both sides want peace.

Carnegie analyst Sarah Yerkes cautions that even if Israeli and Palestinian leaders could overcome domestic pressures to try to forge a peace deal, the negotiations themselves would require a lot of U.S. manpower and focus. She also noted¹³ the Trump administration continuing inability to fill key positions at the State Department to sustain such an effort.

Cofman Wittes, who describes herself as skeptical about the near-term chances for an agreement resolving the Middle East crisis, said Trump’s avowed¹⁴ intention to move the peace process forward as best he can should be taken seriously.

1 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 brooking   

容忍，忍受（brook的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• She was brooking over whether life was worth living. 她在沉思人生是否值得活下去。
• In his talk at Washington's Brooking Brookings Institution, Summers spoke of the psychology of fear. 萨默斯在华盛顿布鲁金斯学会演讲时提到恐惧的心理学。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

7 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

8 crux   

adj.十字形；难事，关键，最重要点

参考例句：

• The crux of the matter is how to comprehensively treat this trend.问题的关键是如何全面地看待这种趋势。
• The crux of the matter is that attitudes have changed.问题的要害是人们的态度转变了。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 avowed   

adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• An aide avowed that the President had known nothing of the deals. 一位助理声明，总统对这些交易一无所知。
• The party's avowed aim was to struggle against capitalist exploitation. 该党公开宣称的宗旨是与资本主义剥削斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》