The Six-Day War, Plus 40 Years

To the Editor:

While the Six-Day War left Israel and the Palestinians in their current deadlock, the war did have its benefits for the Jewish state. The unequivocal victory in 1967 demonstrated to the Arab world that it could not destroy Israel militarily. And it was this recognition by Egypt and Jordan that led to peace agreements with Israel.

The war also laid the foundation for Security Council Resolution 242, which formed the basis for Arab-Israeli peacemaking over the last four decades. Negotiated compromise over territories and assured security arrangements, rather than attempts to obliterate Israel, then the status quo ante, became the new rules of engagement.

Today, these principles remain the best hope for reaching a permanent-status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.

The New York Times www.nytimes.com