The next clash with Arab neighbors came when
Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956 and barred Israeli shipping.
Coordinating with an Anglo-French force, Israeli troops seized the Gaza
Strip and drove through the Sinai to the east bank of the Suez Canal, but
withdrew under U.S. and UN pressure. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel
made simultaneous air attacks against Syrian, Jordanian, and Egyptian air
bases, totally defeating the Arabs. Expanding its territory by 200%,
Israel at the cease-fire held the Golan Heights, the West Bank of the
Jordan River, Jerusalem's Old City, and all of the Sinai and the east bank
of the Suez Canal.
In the face of Israeli reluctance even to
discuss the return of occupied territories, the fourth Arab-Israeli war
erupted on Oct. 6, 1973, with a surprise Egyptian and Syrian assault on
the Jewish high holy day of Yom Kippur. Initial Arab gains were reversed
when a cease-fire took effect two weeks later, but Israel suffered heavy
losses.
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