ABSTRACT
On the morning of 19 May, the Chief of Intelligence, Brigadier-General Aharon Yariv, who a day previously had claimed that the Egyptian deployment was defensive, changed his mind and said that it should be regarded ‘as offensive as well’. The continuing deployment of Egyptian forces, the evacuation of the UN Emergency Force, the advance of Egyptian bombers into Sinai, the photo reconnaissance sortie over Dimona and the stationing of Egyptian troops at Sharm al-Sheikh had created a cumulative effect which forced Israel to modify its Intelligence evaluations. Yariv also reported that the Egyptian minister of war was visiting the Gaza Strip with the intention, among others, of curbing any local initiative for terrorist action which might hinder the operational plans of the Egyptian army. Rabin ordered that preparations be made for mobilization of additional brigades, and that the emergency logistic disposition be activated.1
