on reason rather thanauthority, had a radical aspect, and this is one of the
reasons why Thomism remains most influential among Catholic clergy of a
radical persuasion in areas such as Latin America, where elements in the
Church practiseliberation theology.
Arab–Israeli Conflict
Conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbours started as soon as theUnited
Nationsgave the State of Israel official existence in 1948. Since then there
have been three major wars, in 1956, 1967 and 1973, and a massive military
intervention in Lebanon in 1982. More accurately though, there has never
been a period of total peace between Israel and its neighbours since 1948,
becauseguerrillaattacks by Palestinian groups and Israeli military strikes have
been endemic. The original war in 1948 principally involved armed forces
from Transjordan (which became Jordan in 1949), although troops from Egypt,
Iraq, Lebanon and Syria were also present, fighting a hastily-created Israeli
military largely based on thekibbutzmovement and the irregular armed
movement that had been fighting the British (which had held a Mandate to
administer Palestine since 1923). Israel extended its borders beyond those fixed
by the UN as a result of this war, while the West Bank came under Jordanian
control and Jerusalem was partitioned between Arab and Israeli control.
The next war, in 1956, was an invasion by Israeli forces in which they
captured the Sinai peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt. This war was fought as
a result of a secret alliance with Britain and France, who wanted an oppor-
tunity to humiliate Egypt to force the country’s president, Gamal Abd an-
Nasser, to reverse the nationalization of the Suez Canal which had taken place
earlier in the year. Israel had withdrawn from all territories occupied by early
1957, and the diplomatic losers of these incidents were clearly Israel, France
and Britain, whose prime minister, Anthony Eden, was eventually obliged to
resign.
In 1967 Israel was aware of an impending attack by Egypt, to be assisted by
Jordan, Iraq and Syria, and won a brilliant and total victory in only six days
(consequently the fighting is known as the ‘Six-Day War’), largely because they
launched a pre-emptive attack on the Arab air forces, effectively removing the
ability of Egypt and Jordan to provide air cover for their ground troops. Israel
took control of the Sinai peninsula and the Gaza strip from Egypt, the Golan
Heights from Syria and, finally, the whole of Jerusalem and the West Bank from
Jordan.
The 1973 ‘Yom Kippur’ war, when Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria,
was vastly different. To start with the Egyptians and Syrians achieved tactical
surprise, and the attacking Arab forces were much better trained and equipped.
The Israelis did finally repulse the attacks, but at great cost, and in a way that
Arab–Israeli Conflict