Strike Fighters 2 Israel Campaign Background

1967 Six-Day War

On 5 June 1967, the IDF launches "Operation Moked", a pre-emptive strike to destroy the Egyptian Air Force on ground.

Egypt, Syria, and Jordan have formed a military alliance, and have been publicly calling for united Arab action to destroy the Jewish state. When Egypt expelled the UN observers from the Sinai Peninsula, blocked the Straights of Tiran, and began moving 6 army divisions toward the Israeli border, war on three fronts seem inevitable. The IDF sees no other choice but to strike first before the Arab build-up can be completed.

The IDF/Air Force with 200 combat aircraft must destroy the Egyptian Air Force with 450 aircraft. Once Jordan and Syria join the fight, IDF/Air Force must fight on all three fronts and deal with additional 250 aircraft of the Syrian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Iraqi Air Force.

1973 Yom Kippur War

On 6 October 1973, the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, Egypt and Syria launch "Operation Badr," a coordinated surprise attack on two fronts to reclaim the territories lost in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Because of the Yom Kippur holiday where Jews must abstain from work, the IDF is caught off-guard and vastly out-numbered on the ground. The IDF has only 1 division defending each front until reserve units can be mobilized. Against them, Egypt has 10 divisions, and Syria has 5 divisions plus 3 Iraqi and Jordanian divisions.

The IDF/Air Force with 350 combat aircraft must provide air cover on both fronts, against the Egyptian Air Force with 450 aircraft and Syrian Air Force with 350. Both Egypt and Syria have also deployed a large number of SAM batteries to cover their offensive on the ground.

1982 Lebanon War

On 6 June 1982, the IDF launches "Operation Peace for Galilee," an invasion of Southern Lebanon to expel the terrorist group Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from their bases.

With Syrian backing, the PLO has created an informal state-within-a-state in Southern Lebanon. From there, the PLO has been conducting terror attacks across the border against civilian targets in Israel's northern Galilee region.

Syrian forces, occupying Lebanon since 1976, have two army divisions in Lebanon. They are protected by 500 combat aircraft of the Syrian Air Force and a large number of SAM batteries moved into Lebanon in Bekaa Valley. The IDF/Air Force with 650 combat aircraft must provide air cover for the invasion.

Historical Epilogue

The six days in 1967 changed the Middle East forever. Surrounded and out-numbered by Arab states calling for a complete destruction of the state of Israel, Israeli Defense Force had launched pre-emptive strike, successfully defeating its enemies on all three fronts simultaneously. When the short war was over, Israel had seized the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, and the Golan Height.

On 22 November 1967, U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 242, the "land-for-peace" deal. The resolution called for Israel to return the territories captured, and in exchange, its Arab neighbors to accept Israel's right to exist as a sovereign state.

However, this was never implemented, as Syria insisted on "no peace with Israel" and refused to sign. The talks continued until 1973, when Egypt and Syria launched military offensives to re-capture the lost territories by force.

On 24 October 1973, after Israel had narrowly defeated both Egyptian and Syrian attempts to re-capture the lost territories, U.N. Security Council again called for all parties to negotiate for "a just and durable peace".

Victory on the battlefield did not bring peace to Israel, however. The threat had shifted from armed invasion to terror attacks against civilians instead. For the next three decades into current day, Israel would be under constant attacks from various terrorist organizations, such as PLO, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

In 1994, immediately following the Oslo Accords in 1993, Jordan became the second and the only other Arab state to recognize Israel by signing the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty. Jordan however did not attempt to reclaim West Bank, as they had conceded that right to the Palestinian in 1988.

The 1993 Oslo Accords had set up a framework for the Palestinian-Israel peace agreement, in which Israel would withdraw from both Gaza Strip and West Bank. Although Israel has completed withdrawal from Gaza Strip, the withdrawal from West Bank is complicated with settlement issues and requires further negotiations to complete. However, Hamas victory in 2006 Palestinian election had put this process on hold, as Hamas refuses to recognize Israel and does not accept any agreements previously made by the Palestinian Authority with Israel.