In May, 1967, on the eve of the Six-Day War, Arabs who would be considered 'moderate' by today's standards initiated a war of annihilation against the Jewish State.
Imagining a glorious victory, the premonitory taste of blood also loosened the tongues of Arab leaders and broadcasters who were becoming less and less inhibited about their true feelings. Political correctness took a back seat in those days:
"The existence of Israel has continued too long. We welcome the Israeli aggression. We welcome the battle we have long awaited. The peak hour has come. The battle has come in which we shall destroy Israel."- Cairo Radio May 16th 1967.
All Egypt is now prepared to plunge into total war which will put an end to Israel” - Cairo Radio May 17th 1967.
“The Zionist barrack in Palestine is about to collapse and be destroyed. Every one of the hundred million Arabs has been living for the past nineteen years on one hope – to live to see the day Israel is liquidated…There is no life, no peace nor hope for the gangs of Zionism to remain in the occupied land.”
“As of today, there no longer exists an international emergency force to protect Israel….The sole method we shall apply against Israel is a total war which will result in the extermination of Zionist existence”. - Cairo Radio’s Voice of the Arabs broadcast May 18th 1967.
“Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse any aggression, but to initiate the act ourselves, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland of Palestine. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united. I believe that the time has come to begin a battle of annihilation.”- Syria’s Defence Minister Hafez Assad (later to be Syria’s President) May 20th 1967.
“The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified. This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy which has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear - to wipe Israel off the map” - President Aref of Iraq May 31st 1967.
“Brethren and sons, this is the day of the battle to avenge our martyred brethren who fell in 1948. It is the day to wash away the stigma. We shall, God willing, meet in Tel Aviv and Haifa” - Radio broadcast by Iraqi President Abdel Rahman Aref - June 1st 1967, Baghdad Domestic Service in Arabic , Foreign Broadcast Information Service.
“Those who survive will remain in Palestine. I estimate that none of them will survive.” - Ahmed Shukairy, chairman of PLO in Jordanian Jerusalem, asked in news interview what will happen to the Israelis if there is a war June 1st 1967.
At that time, military, political, and media predictions were grim at best. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, took on the responsibility of publicly foretelling Israel’s astounding victory in what was to become known as Israel's 1967 Six-Day-War.
This video was produced as Lesson 6 of Survival of a Nation, a course by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.
For Part 1 (Drumbeats of War) click here.
For Part 2 (Who will Fire First?) click here.
For Part 3 (The Battle for Jerusalem) click here.
For Part 4 (War on Three Fronts) click here.
For Part 5 (Gains and Losses) click here.
The documentary Six Days in June can be viewed here.
Jerusalem Day this year falls this Saturday night and Sunday, May 13.
