This Day In History

On this day in history, President Jimmy Carter's Secretary of State Cyrus Vance reiterates the President's dedication to advancing human rights. This comes on the heels of the Soviet Union cracking down on dissidents, including Anatoly Sharansky (now Natan Sharansky and a Member of the Israeli Knesset). Sharansky was freed years later, and emigrated to Israel, where he became a leading politician, who I had the great honor of meeting. He is someone who knows evil and has the will to confront it wherever it may be.

Thirty eight years ago, Israel and her Arab neighbors were busy fighting Day 2/3 of the Six Day War, caused by Egypt blocking the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping by blockading the Straits of Tiran, incessant cross-border raids, and a mutual defense pact signed by the Egyptians and Syrians. The Jordanians bought into the propaganda broadcast by the Egyptians who claimed that they were on the verge of defeating the Israelis.

In fact, the Israelis had decimated the Egyptian air force on the ground on June 4, 1967, and the Egyptians and Syrians were on the defensive from moments after the Israelis launched their attacks.

Jordan lost the West Bank and Jerusalem. Egypt lost Gaza and Sinai. Syria lost the Golan. The borders and the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East will forever be changed by those six days.

After the cessation of hostilities on June 10, the UN eventually drafted UN SCR 242, which lay the groundwork for Land for Peace, which was implemented in November 1967.