Overview
The UPA collection Confidential U.S. State Department Special Files, Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1951_1976 examines the Arab-Israeli conflict from shortly after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948 through the mid-1970s, with the bulk of records covering the years 1967_1975. Characterized by simmering tensions throughout these years, the Arab-Israeli conflict twice erupted into full-blown wars, with the Six-Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Cold war rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union also played a part, influencing U.S. strategy in the region. Records in this collection focus primarily on U.S. policy toward Israel, with an emphasis on diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The collection is divided into three parts or series: Chronological Files, Subject Files, and National Security Study Memorandums (NSSM) and Related Documents, with overlapping material appearing in all three sections. Major topics include U.S. and U.N. peace efforts, the Palestinian refugee problem, the status of Jerusalem and occupied territories, disputes over Jordan River water rights, ceasefire violations, fedayeen incursions into Israel and Israeli retaliatory attacks, and U.S. financial and military assistance to Israel. The Six-Day War receives extensive coverage in a set of crisis files, consisting of options papers, situation reports, and talking points, which detail the sequence of events leading up to the outbreak of hostilities.