The six days of the Six Day War were June 5 to 10, 1967.  In this edition of Life Magazine, the war was described as astounding and Israel as “a country still suspended between a nightmare and a dream, relishing a moment of ecstasy.”

The nightmare began in mid-May when the Egyptian army moved two divisions and 900 tanks to Israel’s southern border. United Nations peacekeepers were expelled and then Eilat was subjected to a naval blockade which is a casus belli (act of war) under international law. Jordan then announced it was joining with Egypt, and a division of Iraqi soldiers was sent to Jordan.

By early June, Israel’s army was almost fully mobilized. Egyptian airplanes flew over Israel’s airbases almost daily. Egyptian mortar fire set wheat fields on fire. Two Egyptian commando units were transferred to Jordan and control of the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)