Key Issues, Pages 45-50 of "Crisis in the Middle East".

1. How did Israel develop into a strong, modern state?

The Israeli Army, which helped to not only protect the nation but to shape it as well, were a major contributing factor. The "Law of Return" gave Jews from all over the world the right to be a citizen, and as a result, nearly 700,000 new immigrants arrived. In the army, they all received a similar training and learned Hebrew. Army experience helped to make the immigrants true Israelis, and with financial aid from the United States and reparations from Germany, the Israelis had the money to cultivate vast areas of desert. Also, new industries formed in the 1950s and 1960s such as cars, chemicals, and defense, and much money was spent on the armed forces to defend the country. Also, high quality education helped to push the country forward.

2. What part did Fatah play in the developing conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors?

Fatah was part of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization), whose aim was to win back the land that the Palestinians had lost to Israel. In 1965, Fatah carried out its first raid of Israel, and had its bases in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, all of which border Israel. The Jordanians and Lebanese tried to restrict PLO activities because they were afraid of Israeli reprisals, but the Syrians supported it and supplied men and arms.

3. Who was to blame for the outbreak of war in June 1967?

Neither side was to blame more than the other, as the region was sliding into a crisis that it could not control. Israel issued several threats to attack Syria if Syria did not stop supporting Palestinian attacks on Israel, and then on the other hand the USSR intervened on the side of Syria. The Soviets warned the Egyptians that Israel was planning to attack (which was untrue), causing Nasser to act in defense of Egypt. So really, neither side is to blame more than the other because there was a situation that could not be controlled all too well.