ABSTRACT
The onset of the second truce was a milestone in the war, since the decisive stage of the war began in its wake. During this phase, which lasted until October, both sides acted out what seemed a reversal of roles: the Israelis sought the resumption of the war, while the Arabs, or at least some of them, pursued a diplomatic solution that would extract them from the war. The reason for the reversal is obvious: Jordan and Egypt felt that only diplomacy would enable them to preserve the achievements they had made in the battlefield. The Israelis were determined to bring about the departure of the Arab forces from Palestine, either peacefully or militarily, but they did not believe that they could achieve their objectives by diplomatic means.
