How many people know about the 1967 Six day War who doesn’t live in the Middle East, or who are not Jewish? Not many probably. As the name implies it was a very short military conflict.

In summary, it was when the State of Israel without warning surprisingly attacked its neighbours, won a decisive air & land war, killed some twenty five thousands in the process, and annexed large parts of others’ land. It had seized the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank of the Jordan River (including East Jerusalem), and the Golan Heights. Overall, Israel’s territory grew by a factor of three (expansion had been an ambition you see), including about one million Arabs placed under Israel’s direct control in the newly captured territories. Israel’s strategic depth grew to at least 300 kilometers in the south, 60 kilometers in the east, and 20 kilometers in the north. It is often described as a ‘pre-emptive’ strike, which means that the violent attack was intended to get the first punch in when fearing they themselves were going to be attacked – a true or false fear we can only surmise upon now.

Whatever your opinion or view on such events, there can be no dispute that the attack was brilliantly executed. As a military operation, it attracted widespread admiration at the time from far and wide. Many of us were astounded at the audacity of it, and believed it would be a sad but significant event that would soon and certainly eventually lead to peace and security in that part of the World. We were all naive of course and instead of peace it has culminated in a violent and disgusting forty five year confrontation, deaths galore, and constant persistent dehumanisation of all the peoples involved. Israel certainly won the battle but has equally certainly lost the war, as they say.

Israel’s military action reputation was then further enhanced in a commando operation that amazed and astounded all us others in 1976. It was a hostage rescue operation against terrorists at Entebbe airport following an aircraft hijack. Those were the days when the Israelis were admired, respected, and trusted. Not any longer I’m afraid. They are a nation now hated with an increased vengeance by their enemies, and utterly despised even by the ones that once supported them. Their true colours are out in the open now, and they constantly demonstrate vile, cruel and wickedness streaks that disgusts most normal people. How the hell did those guys achieve that? By their base self protectionism, oppression of others, and perpetual unacceptable actions, silly!

Ignore the past and just take the latest example alone. Sadly three young Israeli men were abducted and believed taken hostage (who they were, what they were doing, where they were, why, and what right they had to be there is a moot point of course). These men were media-rised as just young innocent lads when in fact one was old enough to be in the Isreali army & two at sixteen required to register for it. It was a dreadful crime. The response from the Israeli authorities was to mount a massive campaign of oppression, including the arrest of hundreds of people – no trained negotiators, no middle men facilitators, no expert psychologists, no anything, just blatant aggressive force. None of us has ever heard of such a response to a kidnapping, have we? And we knew therefore from the outset that there could be only one outcome – the men were found murdered of course.

What happened then? The Israeli Prime Minister told the World with undisguised candour, and without a hint of embarrassment, or shame, that there would be ‘retribution’ and that the killings would be avenged. Heard about that kind of approach and reaction before? That is what the Nazis used to do in their occupied countries when they were crossed – whole villages obliterated and men women and children murdered (despite having nothing to do with the cause – like the SS atrocity in Oradour-sur-Glane France, wiped out nearly all its inhabitants, an act of retribution ordered over the purported kidnapping of a commander). Is that where the Israelis learned their attitude and behaviour? Not a simple commitment to find the evil killers, to punish those despicable perpetrators, or to work with their neighbour and international community to deal with this atrocity, not a commitment to establish why this ever happened and take action to remove the cause. NO – reprisals and retribution goes down well with the Israeli people doesn’t it?? Oh yes, and just build some more provocative settlements in someone else’s land of course – that will teach them not to cross the Israelis won’t it?

Hardly surprising then that the knee jerk response from some equally despicable Israelis was to murder a sixteen year old Palistinian youth in retaliation – how will the Israeli Prime Minister deal with that –with an iron fist? Or perhaps probably with the same soft hand that is normally shown to any Israeli killers of journalists or demonstrators? [The boy’s father said “they killed my son and burnt him: they did what the Germans did to the Jews”].

Whose fault is all this disgusting killing? Whose fault is the launching of Palistinian  rockets into Israel? Whose fault is Israeli air strikes killing and injuring civilians including children? Is it the Palistinians? Is it the Israelis?  Is it the Americans & British who inexplicably & relentlessly defend Israel’s quarter? Is it the United Nations who have failed forever to take action against Israel’s flouting of international law (as well as ignoring their obtanance of WOMD?

Now we currently have 100 Palestinians dead (hundreds injured and much more to come) &  0 Iraeli dead (but 100 treated for anxiety)  while previously 167  Palestinians killed  & 6 Iraeli killed, (2012), or  1166 Palestinians dead &  13 Iraeli dead (2009)

[Before I get thousands of comments accusing me of being anti-Semitic, let me add that many Jews outside Israel are ashamed of the way that that country had degenerated into a despicable nation since the Six day War]

revised from earlier post