Though today may be day 242 of the Gaza War, it is also Yom Yerushalayim, and the 57th anniversary of the first day of what would become the Six Day War. This remarkable military achievement - indeed one of the most astonishing military victories in modern history - was an important milestone in Israeli history.
It thus bears a special afternoon post.
JUNE 5, 1967
07:45
Early in the morning, timed to coincide with members of the Egyptian Air Force enjoying their breakfast in their respective hangars at 18 different military bases throughout Egypt, the Israel Air Force (IAF) launched Operation Moked (Focus). The planning for this operation began in 1962, by Maj. Gen. Ezer Weizman, commander of the IAF, and later Israel's seventh President.
That morning, 40 Israeli combat jets took off from bases throughout Israel, as they did each morning. Given that these were routine training flights, the Egyptian radar operators thought nothing of it.
At 7:45 however, the jets on the Egyptian radar screens disappeared. The pilots had dived below the horizon of the radars in the area. A few minutes later, bombs began to fall on all 18 Egyptian air force bases. Each base was hit by approximately four Israeli fighter jets. They arrived low over their target at exactly the same time, and had soon disabled the entire Egyptian Air Force.
It was not just that the Israelis bombed the Egyptian air fields. Turning back, and at a low altitude, they sprayed 30mm cannon shells at every possible Egyptian airplane they could spot. Once all the airplanes were destroyed, they attacked hangars and other military hardware that could potentially be used in a future attack against the Jewish State.
For 80 minutes that morning, the IAF made sure to win the war, almost before it even started. By 10:35, 13 of the 18 Egyptian bases were no longer operational. 250 Egyptian aircraft had been destroyed, 23 radar installations had been bombed, and 100 of Egypt’s 350 qualified air combat pilots had been killed. Egypt was no longer a significant risk factor in the war. 107 more aircraft would soon be destroyed.
08:16
The "Red Sheet" order: Major General Israel Tal ordered the forces of the 84th Division to begin moving into Gaza. Given that Gaza at the time was fully occupied by Egyptian military forces (an ‘occupation’ conveniently forgotten by Israel’s critics), the IDF began to advance forces towards Gaza, to ensure that they had the upper hand on any Egyptian military moves. The army advanced westward to Gaza and Sinai.
As the advance broadened, General Tal declared, “We do not covet their land or possessions. We did not come here to destroy their land or take over their territory. Today, the Sinai Desert will recognize the force of the Plada Formation. The ground will shake beneath our feet.”
10:00
In the days leading up to the war, the Israelis had pleaded with the Jordanians - then occupying the entirety of the West Bank, including Jerusalem’s Old City - to stay out of the war. They would not attack Jordan, if Jordan did not join with their Arab brethren in the attack against Israel. Nevertheless, shortly after the war broke out, King Hussein learned, from listening to Egyptian military propaganda (rookie mistake), that Israel had in fact been destroyed. He opted to join the war, alongside the Egyptians, Syrians, Lebanese, and Iraqis, and try to finish off the 19-year-old Jewish country, that was in fact, very much not destroyed.
At 10am, the Jordanian military began shooting toward the Jewish enclave on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. At the time, Mt. Scopus was a small island controlled by Israel, amidst the West Bank controlled by Jordan. It was clear that Jordan would now be a player in the war. This would eventually end up with them being pushed entirely out of Jerusalem, and indeed the entire West Bank. They launched hundreds of shells at Jerusalem.
11:50
The Jordanian and Syrian air forces launch an air attack against Israel. Though Israel’s attacks against Egypt were focused on military targets, these attacks by the Arab armies were focused on Israeli civilian centres. This included attacks on Haifa, Netanya, and Tel Aviv. They were, thankfully however, largely ineffectual.
Almost every single Israeli plane had returned safely from Egypt, and was refuelled, ready for a third wave of attacks against Egypt. Given, however, how effective their initial two runs were, though many went back to Egypt to finish the job, many were now sent to Jordan, to attack that country’s air force too. 50 Syrian planes, 30 Jordanian, and 10 Iraqi planes were destroyed.
12:15
The IAF's Operation Focus continued into Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Many IAF forces were sent against Arab ground forces, while others sought to destroy any air forces of those countries. Given the surprise attack, and the efficiency of the IAF, by the end of the first day, Israel had total air superiority over Egypt, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the entirety of the Sinai Desert.
13:00
By lunchtime, the 7th Brigade of the 84th Division of the IDF defeated the Egyptian forces at the Rafah crossing. Yes, that Rafah.
13:30
Attempting to secure their positions in Jerusalem, Jordanian forces take over the Government House in Jerusalem, which had been used as a UN base. This would not last long, as the IDF would shortly come and oust them from this position too, relocating diplomats and their families. Throughout the afternoon, Jordanian shells fell on Kibbutz Beth She’an, Mishlosh, Kfar Saba, Kfar Sirkan, Lod, Ra’anana, Tel Baruch, and Tel Aviv.
The IDF’s Chief of the General Staff commanded the 55 Brigade, commanded by Mordechai (Motta) Gur, to begin their ascent to Jerusalem. That evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Levi Eshkol would say on a broadcast, “In light of the situation in Jerusalem, and despite the Jordnian shells and warnings that were sent - this is our chance to finally free the Old City.”
14:22
The IDF took over the small town of Sheikh Zuweid in the Sinai Peninsula, paving the way to victory on the Egyptian front.
15:00
Defence Minister Moshe Dayan called a press conference. He warned the press not to publish the number of Arabic planes destroyed by Israel, which numbered about 400 by that time, in Egypt and Jordan.
17:00
The Harel Brigade launched an attack in the Jerusalem corridor in front of the Jordanian outpost line.
19:15
IDF forces complete their victory over the Jordanian forces at the Fortifications Harmon outpost near Tzur Baher.
21:30
Three outposts in Burkin—in the Jenin region—are successfully occupied by the IDF.
23:00
The beginning of the Battle of Abu-Ageila in the Sinai Peninsula. Once this battle ended, the following day, the entirety of the Sinai Peninsula was in Israeli hands. It was a decisive defeat of the Egyptians, led by Major General Ariel Sharon.
End of Day 1
By the end of day 1, Israel had largely won the war. They had achieved air superiority, had basically conquered the Sinai Peninsula, were beginning to have an upper hand in Jerusalem, and would soon be moving into the Golan Heights.
In the coming days, there would be intense combat on the streets of Jerusalem by brave paratroopers, dedicated to restoring Jerusalem back into Jewish hands. By the next day, June 7, the Temple Mount was in Israel’s hands. Fighting in the Sinai would lead to an Egyptian retreat, the Golan Heights would be captured from Syria, and Israel would grow its landmass substantially, in conquering the entirety of the Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights.
Our Strength
All this is to say, that in light of difficult news coming out of Israel these days, in the midst of a brutal war for survival against terrorist organizations who care more about the death of Israelis than the lives of their own people, it is important to reflect on our strength. Sometimes, our strength is displayed in mighty feats, like the miraculous achievements at the start of the Six Day War. At other times, our strength is shown in our resolve and dedication, and our longstanding desire to stand up for ourselves, even with significant losses, over a lengthy period of time.
No matter, anniversaries like these remind us that we can only rely on ourselves. When it comes to the strength of the Jewish people, we must look out for each other, ensure that we are always fighting on the same side, and ensure that we come out victorious now, like we have always done in the past.
Happy Yom Yerushalayim.