After 1948, the conflict erupted into a series of major wars that redrew the map and reshaped the politics of the Middle East. The three to master are Suez (1956), the Six-Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973). The Six-Day War in particular is examined as the single most consequential flashpoint — the source of the "Occupied Territories" problem that drives everything after it.
How this content is examined
- Essays. Causes/significance of a specific war (Suez, 1967, 1973); the role of the wars in shaping the region.
- Source analysis. UNSCR 242 and superpower-involvement sources recur — know the "land for peace" principle precisely.
1. The Suez Crisis (1956)
- Causes: Egyptian President Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal (after the US withdrew funding for the Aswan Dam); Britain, France and Israel secretly agreed at Sèvres to attack. Israel invaded Sinai; Britain and France intervened "to separate the combatants."
- Outcome: US and Soviet pressure forced a humiliating Anglo-French withdrawal; a UN Emergency Force was deployed.
- Significance: Nasser emerged as the champion of Arab nationalism; British and French influence in the region collapsed; the US and USSR became the dominant outside powers — Cold War rivalry now overlaid the conflict.
2. The Six-Day War (1967) — the pivotal flashpoint
- Causes: rising tension and brinkmanship — Palestinian guerrilla raids, Nasser's expulsion of the UN force from Sinai and closure of the Straits of Tiran, and superpower backing (US–Israel, USSR–Egypt/Syria).
- The war: Israel launched a pre-emptive strike, destroying Arab air forces and rapidly defeating Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
- The decisive outcome — the Occupied Territories: Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem (from Jordan), the Gaza Strip and Sinai (from Egypt), and the Golan Heights (from Syria). This created the central, enduring problems: Palestinians under occupation, and Jewish settlements in the territories.
- UNSCR 242: called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and recognition of every state's right to exist — the "land for peace" formula that remains the main framework for peace.
- Other consequences: a surge of Palestinian nationalism and the rise of the PLO under Arafat (see the Palestinian Nationalism guide).
3. The Yom Kippur War (1973)
- Causes: Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack to recover the territory lost in 1967.
- Outcome: early Arab gains were reversed by Israel; the war triggered an Arab oil embargo with global economic impact and brought superpower brinkmanship.
- Significance: though militarily inconclusive, it restored Arab (especially Egyptian) pride and made negotiation possible — paving the way for the Camp David Accords (1978) and the Egypt–Israel peace treaty (see the Peace Attempts guide).
4. Historical perspectives
- 1967 as the hinge: most historians treat the Six-Day War as the event that locked in the modern conflict (occupation, settlements, Palestinian statelessness) while simultaneously creating its potential solution (242).
- Aggression vs pre-emption: was Israel's 1967 strike defensive necessity or expansionist opportunity? The exam rewards weighing both readings.
5. Recurring exam question patterns & what high answers do
- "Evaluate the significance of the Six-Day War." High answers: organise by short-term (territory, 242), medium-term (1973, Camp David) and long-term (settlements, Oslo, ongoing refugee/occupation issues).
- "Outline the reasons for Suez and assess its significance." High answers: give the causes, then judge the shift to superpower dominance and Arab nationalism.