Soviet Unions Involvement in Israels 1967 six day war and the gains Research Paper

Soviet Unions Involvement in Israels 1967 six day war and the gains - Research Paper Example Soviet Union played a major role in causing the 1967 six day war between Israel and Arab countries. Soviet Union was one among the strongest supporters of Israel earlier at the time of Israel’s formation. However, Soviet Union released later that because of the cultural similarities, Israel was getting more polarized towards United States. Israel’s increasing relationships with America, forced Soviet Union to look for other options in the Middle East. On the other hand, Arab countries were looking for an opportunity to establish stronger relationships with Soviet Union in order to counter the combined threats of America and Israel. Thus, Soviet Union established stronger relations with many of the Arab countries including Egypt in the 1960’s. Soviet Union was the major arm supplier for the Arab countries during this period. â€Å"The Soviet Union’s growing influence in the Middle East worried Israel as did Egypt’s ever growing hauls of Soviet weapo ns†1 Soviet Union had other intentions in strengthening the tension between Arab countries and Israel. In fact they were trying to catch fish from the muddy water.They calculated that the Arab countries had less powerful intelligences and it is easy to mislead these countries to with false information. In other words, Soviet Union supplied false intelligence to Arab countries in the 1960’s in order to strengthen their interests in Middle East region. One such false intelligence information supplied to Egypt by Soviet Union resulted in the six day war in 1967 between Israel and Arab countries... Soviet Union and Six Day war In 1960’s, â€Å"Soviets took on the role of armorer for both Syria and Egypt, supplying them with modern tanks, aircraft and later missiles†3. Israel had certain concerns about the increasing weapon accumulation by the Arab countries. They rightly calculated that these weapons may one day use against them if a war breaks out. Soviet Union did everything possible to increase the concerns of both Israel and the Arab countries. On one side, Soviet Union gave a strong message to Israel that they are ready to attack Israel’s critical places and on the other side, Soviet cultivated a feeling of insecurity among the Arab nations because of the fabricated threats from Israel. Western diplomats also played their own role in causing the six day war. A British foreign ministry official told an Israeli diplomat during this period that â€Å"the Soviet Unions would give it backing to Egypt if and when the latter decided to launch a preemptive wa r†4. In short, both Soviet Union and the Western countries played their parts in causing the six day war. However, Soviet Union seems to be more interested than the westerners in conducting this war because of their strategic interests in the Middle Eastern region. â€Å"Soviet Union’s objectives in the Middle Eastern region were included the control of Suyez Canal and cutting the oil supplies to the European powers†5. Soviet Union expected two birds for one shot by conducting the six day war. They thought that with the help of a war between Israel and Arab countries, they could have destabilized Israel from one end and cut the transport of oil supplies to European countries. During this period, all the commercial