“From the blood-drenched history of the Jewish nation, we learn that violence which begins with the murder of Jews ends with the spread of violence and danger to all people, in all nations. We have no choice but to strike at terrorist organizations wherever we can reach them. That is our obligation to ourselves and to peace.” (Golda Meir)

“July 4, 1976, was a great day to be an American, and a great day to be Jewish, and was, I am assured, an absolutely sensational day to be American and Jewish.” (George Will)

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israeli forces struck suddenly into Sinai in response to an Egyptian violation of an earlier treaty agreement that allowed Israeli ships passage through the important Straits of Tiran. In a lightning campaign, the well-trained and well-led Israeli forces, equipped with American and French vehicles and aircraft, shattered the low-quality Egyptian army forces decisively. When Jordan and Syria attacked Israel in support of Egypt, the Israelis smashed their forces also. Israel acquired most of the Sinai, as well as occupying the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights.

Since the Six-Day War established Israel’s military supremacy, Palestinian opposition developed a new strategy, and a greater emphasis began to be placed on covert, guerrilla actions against Israel and the development of organizations to carry out such attacks. On May 8, 1972, a new style of warfare came to the fore when four members of the Black September Organization, an amorphous branch of the Fatah movement, hijacked Belgian Sabena Flight 571 en route from Brussels to Tel Aviv. To buy time, the Israeli security establishment agreed to allow Flight 571 to land at Lod International Airport, southeast of Tel Aviv, where it was immediately escorted to the far end of the tarmac.