Pictorial, Historical Data on Six-Day War Implement
.
ibrary on Major Events of June 1967
1 Vastly Growing L

Israel vies with the major issues
in the world for the number of
books that have been published
in the paSt year, with special em-
phasis on the Six-Day War.
More than two score books al-
ready have been reviewed in these
columns in the past year. In the
last few weeks, another impres-
sive set of books has appeared,
and among them are several note-
worthy additions to the library
on the Middle East.
Not all of them are strictly
in the historical or military-
analysis categories. Among the
Very latest is a book of humor.
Under the title "So Sorry We
Won!" it combines the skills of
two humorists—the noted writer
Ephraim Kishon and the best
known Israeli cartoonist, Dosh
(Kariel Gardosh). Published by
Maariv in Israel, the sole dis-
tributor in this country is Bloch
Publishing Co, of New York.
These satires, which originally
appeared in Israel's daily news-
paper Maariv, represent an an-
thological treasury of the com-
mentaries on the Six-Day War. In
its own way it is an illustrated his-
tory of Israel's struggles, com-
mencing - with "Shooting Peace
1948-1967" and concluding with
such items as "David Is a Big
Bully !" While the titles are self-
explanatory, the texts are both
instructive and hilarious.
While the cartoons are very
funny, with text they explain
basic facts—about the impossible
road to peace, with Israel stranded
on a child's rocking horse, reveal-
ing the fallacies about the refugee
question, exposing the territorial
inadequacies, portraying the threat
inherent in the Arab boycott and
other manifestations of hatred of
Israel.
Thus, down the line, we have in
this book hundreds of cartoons,
scores of entertaining essays, all
related to danger in an area where
Israel is surrounded by enemies,
triumphs for which Israel has to
apologize ("So Sorry We Won!"),
lesson in international schemes,
one special lesson "Political Psy-
chology for Beginners" in which
Kishon relates a Nasser-Castro
drama and an impressive run-
down on all the conflicts and the
three wars of defense by Israel
against her enemies.
They all lead up to the Six-
Day War, with a modern David-
Goliath story, Goliath's children
and widow being the complain.
ants because David had gath-
ered the enemy's arms "in a
shameful way." The upshot is
the letter from Nasser to "Dear
Brother Ephraim," asking our
author to make up his mind
"who are you—Hercules or the
Merchant of Venice?" The Rabbi
or the Golein?" And as a lesson
for future generations who may
refuse to believe the miracle
of the Six-Day War and of
Israel's survival we have a car-
toon of Father Time in 2067 and
a child saying: "Come, come,
Grandad ! That's impossible !"
Appended to it is the explana-
tory note: "By the look of
things the Six-Day War will be
turned into a legend. Luckily
we kept some snapshots."
These cartoons and stories serve
as addenda to snapshots—they
summarize a tale of glory while
entertaining the reader.
* * *

Pictorial Record Filled
With Soldiers' Photos

Speaking of snapshots, these
too, have been compiled, and a
volume published by Vallentine,
Mitchell in London is available in
this country through the American
distributor, Hartmore House, 410
Asylum St., Hartford, Conn. It is
"Israel at War—A Pictorial
Record—June 5-10, 1967." It is
filled with photos taken by the
soldiers themselves.
An editorial board including E.

Ered, Ch. Yaniv and N. May-Tal
supervised the gathering of these
scores of photos. The impressive
book is "dedicated to the memory
of Israel's fallen who by making
the supreme sacrifice gave Is-
rael victory and possibly peace."
This large book was printed and
bound in Israel.
"Israel at War" contains a
total collection of photos showing
every aspect of the June 1967
war, and concludes with a map of
all the battle areas, indicating
frontiers and occupied areas and
giving an indication of the- vast-
ness of the gains made last June.
As editor of this book, Eli
Ered, in a foreword, states
that these are "photographs
which the whole world has seen
and is not likely to forget" .. .
photos that include the capture
of the Old City of Jerusalem
and the moving scenes at the
Wailing Wall, and he explains:
"The official photographs are
not to be found in this book.
This pictorial record of Israel's
struggle against the combined
armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan
and Iraq has a rather different
aim. It is to depict the war as
seen by the men who actually
fought in it. Everyone knows
that Israel's army is a citizen
army; most of its men were
reservists, enlisted and called
up at very short notice. Many
of them went to war with
cameras—something which is
usually forbidden in other
armies—and used them with
a highly professional skill. This
record is intended as a lasting
tribute to the soldiers, sailors
and airmen of Israel, who faced
the' threat to the survival of
their state with resourcefulness
and courage, and achieved a
victory unique in Jewish history
and in the history of the world."
"Israel at War" therefore is a
very unique photographic collec-
tion. It contains the snapshots
that prove the reality, of the mir-
acle of June 1967.
* *

Warburg's Challenging
`Crosscurrents in
the Middle East'

Among the especially challeng-
ing books dealing with the Middle
East situation is "Crosscurrents in
the Middle East" by James P. War-
burg. a former advisor to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, published by
Atheneum (122 E. 42nd, NY17).
It states: "A Primer for the Gen-
eral Reader, Including a History
of the Region, a Survey of Recent
Developments, an Appraisal of
Western Responsibility and the
Prospects for Peace."
It is a scholarly work, yet it
is based on the past experiences
of the author who, at one point,
showed a prejudiced attitude to-
wards the United Jewish Appeal
and was accused, unjustly, of hav-
ing sided with the American Coun-
cil for Judaism. It is a very
thorough search into the facts and
the able author delves seriously
into the backgrounds of occur-
rences, studying the political in-
volvements of the United States
and Great Britain and the atti-
tudes of the Arab states.
Pursuing the evidence of the
historical occurrences, Warburg
exposes the machinations of
governments, the bias that crept
into British ranks during its
rule as the Mandatory Power,
and in recording the activities
of the Grand Mufti who had
caused so much trouble, he
writes: "The British authorities
were unwilling to believe that
their faith in the Mufti's mod-
eration had been misplaced.
They were soon to have ample
proof of Haj Amin's crafty,
ruthless and bloodthirsty na-
ture."
He describes how a nation was
born out of chaos, tells of Israel's
struggle with Jordan and with
Glubb Pasha's army, relates the

events that took place at the
United Nations and the manner in
which President Truman was being
reversed by biased State Depart-
ment officials. Warburg states
bluntly that Truman, "tired of
being a prisoner in the White
House," replaced an "openly pro-
Arab and less openly anti-Semitic
top official" with "Major General
J. H. Hildring, an outspoken sup-
porter of the partition plan."
Thus, down the line, tracing
history, reviewing events that led
to Israel's rebirth, giving an ac-
count of what had occurred during
the past 20 years, Warburg takes
a look into the future, discusses
the folly of the U.S. "of trying to
preserve peace by selling or giv-
ing away the weapons of war." He
urges the establishment of a
United Nations Development Au-
thority to assure the economic
progress of the nations involved
as a means of raising standards
and avoiding conflicts. His pro-
posal, which he first advanced in
1957, apparently is not meeting
with success.
He poses a number of questions,
admits the difficulty in under-
standing the behavior of nations
and is disturbed by General Moshe
Dayan's assertion that Israel wants
"a purely Jewish state." He calls
it a disturbing feature that carries
"overtones of something very
like racism in reverse."
Warburg rejects fears that
something like what had hap-
pened in Germany could happen
to Jews in other countries.
Rejecting such "a pessimistic
view," he expresses the convic-
tion that "there is not only a
future for the Jews of the
Diaspora, but they will have
increasing opportunities to con-
tribute to the cultural, scienti-
fic and artistic development of
the countries in which they live.
This may not be true in the case
of the Jews in the Soviet Union,
who, if they are free to do so,
might well wish to emigrate to
Israel."

He refers to the time when he
had complained that UJA funds
were used to support political
parties in Israel, "among them the
avowedly expansionist Herut Party
of Jabotinsky followers led by
Menaham Begin, former head of
the Irgun terrorists," but he does
this in passing, in a footnote . . .
Admitting that he does not
know who makes Middle East
policy in the U.S., outlining State
Department actions, declaring that
"the State Department has be-
come subservient to the military-
industrial complex," he adds that
"to say this is not to say that the
military, the arms makers and the
merchandisers of strategic goods,
such as oil, are evil men." But he
shows that pressures in this coun-
try are for peace at home and
abroad.
He makes the point that "so
long as the war in Vietnam con-
tinues, there will be little hope
of Soviet-American, cooperation
toward the establishment of
peace in the Middle East. In
the absence of such coopera-
tion there is likely to be a
vicious circle of Arab terrorism
and Israeli reprisal, exacerbat-
ing tensions and preventing
progress tow a r d negotiated
peace."
Expressing concern about an
unlimited "desperate leadership k"
his hope is: "The reawakening of
the American people holds promise
of bringing about either a change
of policy or a change of leader-
ship. Upon the outcome depends
to a large extent the hope of peace
not only in Southeast Asia and
in the Middle East but in the
whole of an anxious world."

* * *

`Strike First'—History
of Six-Day War Battles

NY 17), Dayan presents details
of the war's commencement, of
the instigations to hatred in the
Arab capitals, especially in Cairo,
and the determination of Israelis
not to be submerged in a sea of
blood.
Quoting a talmudic admoni-
tion, "if someone attempts to
kill you, strike first," he indi-
cated how the stage was set
for the war of defense against
the threats to exterminate the
Jews in Israel. In charts that
show the relative strength of
the Israeli and Arab forces and
the overwhelming numbers of
Arabs who ganged up on Israel's
borders, Dayan indicates in a
series of maps, photographs,
sets of figures, how the die was
cast against Israel and how the
Israelis overcame the "danger of
utter destruction . .
It is the intimacy of the men
and women who formed the de-
fense army that is so valuable in
this story—the fact that the milk-
man, the truck driver, the postal
clerk, the engineer, the scholar,
the housewife—all combined to
create a force that refused to sub-
mit to the terror that spelled
destruction—the Folk Army that
emerges in this work, to make
"Strike First!" stand out among the
very good books about the Six-
Day War.
Dayan touches upon all the
steps towards triumph, every area
that was involved, all the genius
of generalship as well as the fight-
ing forces—all "Fighting like
Lions '—and there are excerpts
from declarations by the officers
in charge.
"If only to make it possible for
these people once more to live
like other men, the Six-Day War
was worth it," is an apt conclud-
ing sentence to this splendid book.

* *
As chief correspondent of the
Israel Army Broadcasting Service,
David Dayan is well qualified to Draper Reviews 'Roots
describe the battle history of the of Third Arab-Israel War'
Six-Day War. In "Strike First,"
A noted correspondent, Theo-
published by Pitman (20 E. 46th, dore Draper, in "Israel and World
Politics," published by Viking
Press, adds a valuable outline of
"The Roots of the Third Arab-
Israel War:" He describes "the
supreme national interest" that
was inherent in the Israeli in-
Among the most impressive works on the events in June 1967 is sistence that "no concession is
a large pictorial work issued by Quadrangle Books entitled "The possible and no compromise is
admissible" in Arab moves to shut
Victory—Six Days in 1967" by Raphael Bashan.
Edited by Ohad Zmora, with Israel I. Taslitt as translator, contain- Israel off from the major water
ing an important foreword by Brig Gen. Haim Herzog, and an excellent routes which are vital to the na-
layout by. Shmuel Brand, this work is valuable for its text as well tion's existence, as Prime Minister
Eshkol stated on May 29, 1967.
as the collection of photographs.
Eshkol's and other Israel gov-
"The Victory" is a diary in historical perspective brought up
ernment officials' declarations are
to date by including the Zahal (Israel Defense Forces) Indepen-
appended to Draper's text as part
dence Day parade of last May, including in it every detail of the of an important evaluative work
war and its aftermath and also accounting for the conditions that views the events before and
that prevailed before the war.
during the war. The appendices
Raphael Bashan, the author of the text, is the highly qualified are significant because they go
Israeli correspondent for the daily Hebrew newspaper Maarivh who back into the history of the entire
had earned the Sokolow Literary Award. The story he relates is so Middle East crisis, quoting John
all-embracing that it may well serve as one of the best histories of Foster Dulles, President Eisen-
the period.
hower, Dag Hammarskjold, U
By the same token, the explanatory preface by Gen. Herzog Thant, Ralph Bundle, as well as
answers many questions, defines the Israelis' attitudes,.shows how the the Nasser speeches and the
people of Israel were united, that "every soldier knew what was at statements by Israel's leaders.
stake."
By resorting to the data that
There is a firm declaration by Gen. Herzog who states:
includes all the factors in the
"Israel is now entrenched along the length and breadth of its new
struggle, Draper's is an histori-
borders. This is a fact, if the Arab world wants peace, there will
cal work of great merit.
be peace. If not—Israel has lived and groWn and prospered, to
Draper's review shows how
this day, without it. Israel can afford to wait. All this we have Charles de Gaulle "appeared to
achieved at great cost—the heart's blood of the flower of our be at a loss for either ideas or
actions to uphold French prestige
youth. Their sacrifice must not be in vain."
All the vital figures in Israel's struggle for security are fully ac- or dignity," how a "war by proxy*
counted for and the labors of Generals Rabin, Hod, Herzog, Weizmann emerged and "the nationalistie
interests of both Israel and Egypt
and the others emerge in all their glory.
"The tortuous borders have been straightened," the author declares made it impossible for any of the
as a concluding word to his remarkable history. "The weather fore- great powers to 'control' them."
cast now announces the degree of humidity on the Golan Highlands, This type of war, he shows, kept
Solomon's Straits, northern Sinai. The sands of Sinai are still strewn both Russians and Americans
with the twisted wreckage of a once mighty war• machine. Hundreds from active participation in it and
of homes in Israel are in silent mourning. Medals and citations will he admonishes that "the war by
still remains the most dan-
have to be distributed to thousands. Hundreds of tales of valor are proxy
gerous game of armed conflict
yet to be told—the Navy operation in the harbor of Port Said, for the great powers are playing to-
instance—but this is a task for the historians. For only they, aided by day." Draper's view is that "the
the perspective of time, will be able to plumb, fathom and assess the two greatest powers could not de-
full measure of those great moments, the glory-crowned hours of the cisively influence the outbreak and
Six-Day War of 1967."
course of this war."
This assessment, nevertheless, is fairly total, and with the accom-
panying 165 illustrations, with the explanatory maps, "The Victory" is
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
a noteworthy work on the subject.
40—friday, August 16, 1968

•
'The Victory'sv-Photos, History
Linked in Descriptive Volume

