When discussing a potential 'two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and specifically the borders of such a resolution, the Six Day War and its aftermath cannot be ignored. The phrases ‘pre-'67 borders’ and ‘Green Line’ are constantly mentioned and often endorsed as the proper borders for a potential Palestinian state neighboring the existing Israeli one. What very few ever speak of, because it does not fit many modern narratives, is that the Zionist state never had any intention of taking over the Jordanian-controlled 'West Bank,' known in Israel as Judea & Samaria. In the spirit of the upcoming Yom Kippur fast and self-reflection, this piece is dedicated to deeper thinking on if, and how Israel could have done things differently.
After the Israeli war of independence that ended in 1949, all sides of the conflict signed an armistice agreement that called for the parties to adhere to a temporary seize fire and demarcated clear borderlines. To the north, Israel bordered Lebanon, and to the far north-east, the Syrian-controlled Golan heights. To Israel’s southwest, Egyptians controlled Sinai and Gaza. Finally, throughout all of Israel’s eastern border was the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria largely included.
The next major conflict after the war of independence was the Suez conflict of 1956 where both France and the United Kingdom sided with Israel. The end result was that the Sinai Peninsula was taken over by the Israel Defense Forces. However, Israeli control of the Sinai back then only lasted a few weeks due to ongoing international pressure. It is important to note as well that there was no major Israeli interest in containing such a vast land, concerns within the defense establishment are clear, Israel was not intending to hold the land for long.
In the years between 1956 and 1967, there was constant growing pressure and fear within Israel that war could come from any and all hostile fronts of Israel, meaning all sides but the Mediterranean sea. The Jordanian border inside Jerusalem was a point of great sorrow for Jews living in Western Jerusalem, most Jews who owned land and property on the Eastern side of the city were killed or fled out of fear when Jordan razed all Jewish affiliated buildings in 1949. It was common for Jordanian troops to fire mortars and bullets toward civilian areas of Israeli-controlled Western Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the heavily populated metropolis of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa was less than a dozen miles away from the Jordanian-controlled West Bank.
It should also be noted that many observant Jews back then and today believe in ‘Eretz Yisroel Hashlima’, an ancient phrase that means ‘the entire land of Israel.' Most interpret the meaning as something far larger than the very slim lands Israel was founded on, closer to the initial promise of the Balfour declaration when 'Mandatory Palestine' included the area known today as Jordan. Many Jews believe that Israel's sovereignty should at least encompass the ancestral homelands of Judea, Samaria, referred to as the West Bank. In addition, the entire old city of Jerusalem including the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple Mount where the remains of two Jewish temples have been pillaged by Arab leaders hell-bent on wiping any evidence of a Jewish connection to the site. Nevertheless, religious priorities were not on any Israeli governmental or military agenda.
The Six Day War broke out in June of 1967. After months of intense pressure on all sides and the horns of war already blown by Egypt and Jordan, Israel got off the first shot in a preemptive strike aiming at an Egyptian airforce base that was moments away from launching attacks on targets within Israel. To illustrate the pressures leading up to the war, Yitzhak Rabin who was the Army Chief of Staff at the time was hospitalized for sleep deprivation, fueled in part by his smoking 3-4 packs of cigarettes a day.
During the short yet intense combative 6 days, Syria Egypt, and Jordan teamed up to try and defeat their common enemy. As we know today, their efforts had little impact on young Israel which swiftly tripled its size in less than a week. However, that was never the mission. The IDF’s main goal in virtually all military operations is to remove threats, including missiles pointed at the Zionist state. This goal can be achieved usually by physically removing the threats from the lands that surround us. In other words, Israel expected to enter Jordanian, Syrian, and Egyptian lands but did not predict how far back the enemy was going to retreat. The retreat is best documented in the West Bank, where Jordanian soldiers admitted on numerous occasions to retreating from large areas under orders from their high command.
The reason for retreating is up to debate. It can either be due to an overwhelming Israeli advantage that was unbeatable, or the more likely option, a large-scale Jordanian plan to retreat from areas with an overwhelming amount of Arabs that were not loyal to the Jordanian crown. Despite the majority of Jordan being populated by 'Palestinians,' most are second-class citizens who despise the Hashemite regime. At the time, the only Arab establishment that could be legitimately spoken to regarding the West Bank was the Jordanian Kingdom, in fact there was no Palestinian Authority, no movement to liberate Palestine and no talk of an occupied Palestine. With the exception of East Jerusalem, the Jordanians showed little interest in the lands lost in 1967 and the only reason why Jerusalem was on their radar is it was the only thing tying the new Hashemite kingdom to the ancient one that was deposed after World War I.
Historically, the Hashemites controlled Arabia and were the keepers of the Muslim holy sites. After the Ottoman empire fell, England passed that torch to their allies who helped them defeat the Turkish empire. On numerous occasions, Israeli officials offered the West Bank back to Jordan, just as they did with Sinai and Egypt. In fact, when Israel was negotiating the 1994 peace deal with Jordan, it was originally one of the demands. The difference was Egypt took the offer in exchange for peace while Jordan felt that the West Bank was unnecessary for a peace agreement.
Decades had passed since the '67 conflict and in 1988 Jordan officially made it clear that they have no desire in taking back the administration of the West Bank. Jordan declared they do not seek sovereignty over the lands lost and said that the terrorist entity called the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was the only legitimate representative of the people inhabiting those lands. In a sense, the Hashemite Kingdom decided to not take responsibility for the previous inhabitants of their now conquered Israeli lands and left the volatile area as a gift for Israel to deal with.
So, What could have been done differently? The only other option sounds ridiculous but it is an option. Israel could have abandoned the West Bank in 67’ and allowed a natural chain of events within the newly liberated Palestinian people to take place. It sure sounds like a perfect example of anarchy and would be fascinating to watch from afar, but Israel is not from afar. Also, the liberated people of Palestine needed consistent food and water supply, it would be highly irresponsible, and against everything the nation believes for Israel to have left the people to starve and die out.
The real and viable answer to what Israel could have done differently is nothing. The only entity that could have helped the Palestinian people was the original Arab state created in Mandatory Palestine, the Hashemite Kingdom which is comprised mostly of the Arabs of Palestine.
On the modern global diplomatic stage, it is presented as if Israel constantly neglects and abuses the Palestinians. One could only begin to imagine what those critics would say if the West Bank was actually neglected and left untouched by Israel. Who would they blame? The Hashemite Kingdom? The true answer will never be known but we all know, Israel is always to blame in the international world.
