Britain and Israel Before and After the Six Day War, June 1967: From Support to Hostility

Abstract

From the End of the Suez campaign until the outbreak of the Six Day War, on 5 June 1967, Israel and Britain enjoyed a warm and friendly relationship characterised by Britain's absolute commitment to Israel's survival. To this end it not only supplied Israel with arms, but also endorsed the Israeli position on the Arab–Israeli conflict in the United Nations as well as in the international forums. [Unless otherwise stated all references are to documents held at the Public Record Office, Kew, London.] After the war of June 1967, which ended in a stunning Israeli victory, Britain sought ways to limit the damage Israel's victory had wrought on its interests. British Foreign Secretary, George Brown, believed that Britain had to take positive action to establish as soon as possible a good relationship with the Arab states. This British policy found expression in Brown's speech to the United Nations' Assembly on 21 June. Brown demanded Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories, warned Israel not to annex East Jerusalem, and demanded a solution on the Palestinian refugee problem as a whole. From Israel's point of view, Brown's speech amounting to nothing but a betrayal, marked a change for the worse in Britain's policy towards Israel. Indeed, Brown's speech signaled the onset of the rising Anglo–Israeli tension, with Israel and Britain finding themselves on opposite sides of the debate on practically every issue on the Middle East agenda.