ABSTRACT
A full-fledged military campaign to liberate its occupied territory was not considered seriously, because the country was licking its wounds from 1967. That Israel would withdraw as a result of international pressure was more of a pipe dream than a realistic possibility. Egypt knew that the times had changed and that Israel could stand up to the UN, the United States, and the Soviet Union and deflect their pressure. Israel, the object of all of Nasser’s efforts, also failed to understand why the violence had been renewed and deliberately minimized the importance of some incidents. The goal of the violence, the Israelis believed, was to enable Nasser to satisfy most of his demands without having to make any quid pro quo. It is also possible, however, that Israel had a hidden agenda in blaming the Soviets. Israel’s assessment was very different.
