In June 1967, the world witnessed one of the most rapid and tragic conflicts in the history of the contemporary Middle East. In just six days, between 5 and 10 June, Israel managed to annihilate the armed forces of its three rival Arab states (Egypt, Syria and Jordan), conquering vast territories in Sinai and redefining the geopolitical balance in the Middle East. To understand the reasons for the conflict, one must analyse the early days of the birth of the State of Israel and the events of the First Arab-Israeli War of 1948. The war, fought immediately after the birth of the Jewish state, was won by Israel, which occupied the areas of what in 1948 had been proclaimed by the United Nations as the state of Palestine, in the two-state resolution. Ever since the armistice of 1949, military tensions with its Arab neighbours continued unabated and border frictions and tensions were the order of the day in the Sinai and the Golan Heights.

In 1967 the situation precipitated when Egyptian President Nasser, leader of Pan-Arabism, decided to deploy his troops in Sinai and close Israel's access to the Straits of Tiran, a vital access to the Red Sea and necessary for the survival of the Jewish state. Such a radical action was perceived by the Israeli government as a declaration of war, the fledgling Jewish state found itself surrounded by hostile armies ready to destroy it, coupled with an increasingly hostile media coverage of it. The Israeli government decided to act without delay and under the leadership of Prime Minister Eskhol, the Israeli air force launched Operation Focus, an incredible surprise attack that wiped out the Egyptian air force in a matter of hours with almost no casualties. On the same day, targeted attacks and bombings took place on Jordan and Syria.

But even more than the quick military victory, what makes the Six-Day War of great historical importance are its political consequences. Israel occupied Sinai (later returned years later) and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. The impact was enormous and particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, under military occupation, the Arab populations found themselves living under very harsh conditions. Movements like Arafat's PLO were born to fight the Israeli occupation and for self-determination of the Palestinian people. Even today, the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza persists, as does the drama of the suffering of Jews and Arabs.