75 years of Israel's independence - fighting for the survival of the state
It has been over 50 years since Israel engaged in a direct military confrontation with a neighboring state, but that doesn't mean the wars are over
It's a story of a country rising from war, developing into a prosperous nation 75 years later, yet still waging war.
Israel's Independence War broke out a few months before the actual independence declaration. In November 1947, a day after the United Nations adopted a resolution calling for the partition of the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state, the Arab population began attacking Jewish communities.
As Jewish organizations began taking the upper hand, their leadership decided to declare the establishment of the State of Israel, which led to the second and far more dangerous phase of the war, with various Arab armies invading the newly born state.
Despite the difficult opening conditions, the newly established Israeli army was able to defeat them.
Just over a year after it began, the War of Independence was over. Israel could then focus on building itself, but not for long.
In 1956, Egypt blocked the Tyran Strait - leading from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Eilat - to Israeli ships, thus shutting down Israel's Eilat port. Israel, in cooperation with the United Kingdom and France, embarked on a military operation to open the straits. The Sinai War would end with Israel conquering the entire Sinai Peninsula.
Israel eventually withdrew following American pressure but did enjoy a relatively quiet decade which ended just as the Jewish state celebrated its 19th Independence Day.
In 1967, Egyptian forces stormed into the Sinai Peninsula, which was demilitarized following the previous war. Egypt announced it was joining hands with Syria and Jordan to destroy the Jewish state.
Israel was under siege, which it was able to break in early June when it attacked its three neighbors. Six days later, Israel more than tripled its size, leaving Egypt, Jordan, and Syria bitterly defeated. It led Israel to a moment of euphoria, which would only be shattered six years later.
In October 1973, on Yom Kippur, Egyptian and Syrian forces caught Israel by surprise and were able to reclaim, for a few days, some of the land they lost in 1967. Israel's army eventually regained that territory, but the initial days of that war and the feeling of defeat completely shook Israeli society.
Some 50 years ago was the last time Israel engaged in a direct military confrontation with a neighboring state, but that does not mean that the wars were over. In fact, the form of confrontation just changed.
Since 1973, the wars fought were mostly against terror organizations, such as the Lebanon War in 1982, meant to expel Palestinian terrorists from Israel's northern border. What was meant to be a short operation dragged in for years, changing the landscape of southern Lebanon. When Israeli forces finally withdrew, it was Hezbollah terrorists which took over, with Israel engaging with them in a month-long war in the summer of 2006.
Terror groups taking control of areas just on the Israeli border also came from the south. Various military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip have taken place since the terror organization took over the Palestinian enclave over 15 years ago. Most notable were operations Cast Led in 2009, Protective Edge in 2014, and Guardian of the Walls just two years ago.
Peace, unfortunately, will not be coming soon it seems. But Israel will continue to prosper despite the constant security challenges.