The Israeli Military and the Origins of the 1967 War: Government, Armed Forces and Defence Policy 1963-67 / Edition 1

by Ami Gluska

Overview

This new book looks at the relationship between the Israeli armed forces, the government, and the origins of the 1967 War.

Ami Gluska discusses the effect of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Israel’s defense policy between 1963-1967 against the backdrop of the developments in the Middle East. In addition, he describes in detail the decision-making process leading to the Arab-Israeli Six Day War in June 1967 through the prism of the relations between the military and political echelons. He shows how the Six Day War was a watershed event in the Middle-Eastern conflict and had a profound effect on the development of the Palestinian problem and the character of the State of Israel over the past four decades.

This book will be of great interest to students of Middle Eastern politics, strategic studies, Israeli politics and military history in general.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415392457
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/30/2006
Series:	Middle Eastern Military Studies
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Personnel Changes in the Defense Establishment 2. Basic Security Issues 3. Escalation - Stage 1: From Skirmishes in the Demilitarized Zones to Aerial Sorties 4. Escalation - Stage 2: Diversion 5. The Dispute with Syria Worsens 6. Escalation - Stage 3: 'Harassment' 7. The General Staff Wants a 'Frontal Clash' 8. Israel-Jordan: The Israeli Dilemma, the Jordanian Dilemma 9. The Clash with Syria Approaches 10. Conflagration 11. The Trigger 12. The Start of the Crisis 13. The Era of Diplomacy 14. The Revision of Intelligence Evaluation and the Shift to Offensive Planning 15. Casus Belli 16. The Army Pressures the Government 17. The Politicians' Quandary 18. The Height of the Diplomatic Campaign - and the Outcome 19. Waiting 20. Establishment of a National Unity Government: The Military Aspect 21. The Strategic Turning Point: The Egypt-Jordan Defense Pact 22. The Decisive Meeting in the Pit: The Ministerial Committee versus the General Staff 23. The Decisive Stage: War

Editorial Reviews

‘Dr. Ami Gluska, a qualified, gifted and reliable researcher, wrote an exceptional and well documented book. Historians, as well as regular readers, will find this book an in-depth, intriguing and enlightening research…’ - Mr. Yitzhak Navon, Israel's 5^th President

'An excellent and thought-provoking book – a must for anyone interested in the history of the Middle East and in army-government relations. The author demonstrates an in-depth understanding of both the military thinking and the considerations guiding the political echelon.' - Lt. General Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and former I.D.F Chief of Staff

'Ami Gluska describes in an articulate, detailed and captivating manner the drama, the deliberations and the attempts to resolve the crisis.' - Maj. General Shlomo Gazit, former I.D.F Chief of Intelligence and former President of Ben-Gurion University

'An accurate, critical and creative book. I do not know a better one ever written on this subject in Israel or abroad.' - Ha'aretz

'Ami Gluska, in an outstanding research, reveals a fascinating picture of the events during the ‘60s preceding the war.' - Excerpt from the explanations provided by the judicial committee of the Yitzhak Sadeh Award for Military Literature (the most prestigious award in Israel in this field) for giving the award to the author

From the Publisher