I just finished reading Michael Oren's history of the 1967 war, Six Days of War. For a full book review check out this list of reviews from the author's own site. Also hear or read the author's interview with Terry Gross All I'll add is that if you want to understand the current events in the Middle East, this book is required reading. It's also a gripping story.

The picture it paints is surreal, yet a lot of the themes ring true today. The story in a few sentences is this: Arab regimes compete with one another to shout the loudest for the destruction of Israel; A United Nations and world community do little to rein in the Egyptian and Syrian calls for Israel's destruction, movement of troops, shelling of Israeli villages and blockade against Israel, yet call on Israel to exercise restraint. Soviet Union goads the Arabs into the war. World leaders, like Charles deGaulle, refuse to come to Israel's assistance; Israeli government does everything to avoid hostilities, of which it is terribly afraid; Yizhak Rabin has nervous breakdown. Arab militaries that promoted officers for loyalty, family ties and sycophantry, not competence, prepare for glorious battle. Said Arab armies collapse and are slaughtered within hours, not so much by Israeli ingenuity, but due to their own poor planning, poor training, cowardly leadership. Egyptian government extols victories and broadcasts fantastic reports of its army capturing Negev, on way to Tel Aviv, even while its air force has been decimated on the ground and its tanks are burning by the hundreds in the Sinai desert. Arabs blame U.S. and Britain for fighting alongside Israel. King Hussein of Jordan is drawn into the war. Loses the West Bank, Jerusalem. Israel is bewildered by its own success; extensive territorial gains are more accidental, improvised than designed. Egypt, Jordan finally beg for ceasefire. Syria delays agreeing to ceasefire, loses Golan Heights. Arab world and Soviet bloc demand that Israel return the territory it captured through its "aggression". Israel offers to return nearly all the captured territories in exchange for peace. Meeting at Khartoum in August/September, the major Arab nations resolved "no recognition of Israel, no peace and no negotiations with her".

And there you have it. And that explains why, 35 years later, the Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza is still labeled an "illegal occupation".

Read the book.