ABSTRACT
A frenzy of war hysteria swept the Arab world, and for a brief moment Nasser basked in the adulation of Arabs everywhere. Egypt’s propaganda machine told the public and the world that victory was certain. The anxious days that preceded the war left a lasting imprint on American policy in other respects as well. Some were unenthusiastic at best about Israel’s victory. They saw the rebuilding of America’s shattered ties with the Arabs as the main task ahead for the nation’s diplomacy, and they feared that the US position in the Middle East would be irreparably damaged if the new cease-fire lines were to become permanent. As the Middle East erupted into crisis in May of 1967, Eugene Rostow put himself in charge of the task force set up to deal with it. Rostow’s proposal sent chills down the spines of the staff of the Department of State’s Near East and South Asia bureau and found few supporters elsewhere.
