Israeli Military and the Origins of the 1967 War

Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ashkelon Academic College, Israel

‘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 5th 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

• 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