The Six-day War

Guy Laron's "The Six-Day War: The Breaking of the Middle East" offers a comprehensive reexamination of one of the twentieth century's most pivotal military conflicts. Drawing on recently declassified documents from Israeli, American, Russian, British, and French archives, Laron presents a fresh perspective on the June 1967 war that fundamentally reshaped the Middle Eastern political landscape. The book challenges conventional narratives and provides readers with a nuanced understanding of the complex international dynamics that led to this brief but consequential confrontation.

The author, a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, structures his analysis around the economic and domestic political pressures that drove the key players toward conflict. Rather than viewing the war as an inevitable clash or a primarily security-driven confrontation, Laron emphasizes how internal economic crises in Egypt, Syria, and Israel contributed significantly to the escalation of tensions. This economic lens provides a distinctive framework that sets the book apart from earlier accounts that focused predominantly on military strategy or regional security concerns.

Laron dedicates substantial attention to the role of superpower politics in shaping events. The book explores how the Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union created conditions that made peaceful resolution increasingly difficult. The author demonstrates how both superpowers, while not seeking direct confrontation, nonetheless contributed to the crisis through their support of regional allies and their miscalculations about the intentions and capabilities of their adversaries. The interplay between regional actors and global powers emerges as a central theme throughout the narrative.

The examination of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's decision-making receives particular attention. Laron analyzes how Egypt's dire economic situation, combined with Nasser's domestic political vulnerabilities and his ambitions for Arab leadership, influenced his provocative actions in May 1967. The book details the sequence of events including the expulsion of United Nations peacekeepers from the Sinai Peninsula and the closure of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. These actions, Laron argues, were not necessarily intended to provoke war but were calculated risks driven by multiple pressures that ultimately spiraled beyond Nasser's control.

The Israeli perspective receives equally thorough treatment. Laron explores the internal debates within the Israeli government and military establishment during the tense weeks preceding the outbreak of hostilities. The book examines how economic stagnation, political divisions, and genuine security concerns combined to shape Israeli decision-making. The author provides insight into the deliberations that led Israel to launch preemptive strikes on June 5, 1967, rather than waiting for international diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

One of the book's strengths lies in its attention to the roles played by Syria and Jordan. Rather than treating these countries as secondary actors, Laron demonstrates how Syrian actions along the Israeli border contributed to regional tensions and how King Hussein of Jordan was drawn into a conflict he had hoped to avoid. The complexity of inter-Arab relations and rivalries receives appropriate emphasis, revealing how pan-Arab solidarity rhetoric often masked deeper divisions and competing interests among Arab states.

The military aspects of the war, while not the primary focus, are covered with sufficient detail to satisfy readers interested in the tactical and operational dimensions. The book describes the stunning Israeli air strikes that destroyed the bulk of the Egyptian air force on the ground, the ground campaigns across three fronts, and the rapid Israeli advances that concluded with control over the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights. However, Laron consistently connects these military developments back to his broader analysis of political and economic factors.

The author's use of archival sources strengthens the credibility of his arguments. The extensive documentation allows Laron to challenge some widely held assumptions about the war and to provide new details about behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts, intelligence assessments, and leadership deliberations. The research is thorough and the presentation of evidence is generally persuasive, though readers should note that the author does advance interpretations that differ from some established historical accounts.

The book's title proves apt, as Laron makes a convincing case that the 1967 war indeed broke the Middle East in ways that continue to reverberate. The territorial conquests, the displacement of populations, and the hardening of positions that resulted from the conflict established patterns that have proven remarkably resistant to resolution. The author's concluding analysis connects the war's outcomes to subsequent decades of conflict and failed peace efforts.

"The Six-Day War: The Breaking of the Middle East" represents a significant contribution to the historical literature on this crucial event. The book will appeal to readers seeking a sophisticated understanding of how economic pressures, domestic politics, and international relations combined to produce a war that none of the participants initially wanted but that transformed the region for generations to come.