During the 1960's terrorism escalated in the Middle East with Arab attacks inside Israel and Israeli retaliatory bombing raids on the Arab states. In 1964 all the Palestinian groups inside and outside Israel who were determined to create an independent Arab state in Palestine and destroy what they called the "Zionist Political Entity" (the state of Israel) came together in an umbrella organization called the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) under the leadership of Yasir Arafat. The PLO began to coordinate guerrilla attacks against Israel.
In an effort to gain a strategic advantage in this undeclared war and to deny the Arab states bases from which to launch attacks, the Israelis launched a surprise attack against their Arab neighbors in 1967. In what became known as the Six-Day War, the Israelis seized the Golan Heights on its border with Syria, the Sinai Peninsula on its border with Egypt, and other territories. They also virtually destroyed the armed forces of Syria and Egypt.
During the war the Israelis deliberately attacked the American communications ship Liberty in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean and killed thirty-four U. S. sailors in order to prevent the United States government from learning exactly what was occurring in the war. Despite this unprovoked attack, the U. S. delegation to the United Nations used its veto powers in the Security Council to prevent U. N. sanctions or military action against Israel. The General Assembly of the United Nations overwhelmingly voted condemnation of Israeli actions in the Six-Day War.
World History
