A series where I use history to debunk common misconceptions about the Middle East conflict.
I have previously covered the Six Day War from the point of view of the New York Times in June 1967. Time Magazine from right after the war provides some additional insight.
The article captures the mood at the time: overwhelming support for the Jewish state in the US, with even groups – like leftist US Jews – who are nowadays no great friends of Israel being fully in support of her fight. Also made clear from the article:
- Israel was in great peril at the time and would not have fought had the Arab aggression (including blockading the Gulf of Aqaba) not taken place
- Nasser’s lies to strengthen support (some things have not changed)
- Israel’s shooting of the USS Liberty during the hostilities – a favorite of the neo Nazis and other haters – was an accident for which Israel apologized
Note: I cannot provide a link to the full article since it is only available to those who have purchased a Time Magazine subscription. But I have provided screenshots below. As usual, click on the screenshots to enlarge.
