How many wars has Israel fought with its neighbors?

Answer 1

There are numerous Conflicts and Quasi-Conflicts in the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

Arab-Israeli War of 1947-1949

Neutral Name: Arab-Israeli War of 1948

Israeli Name: Israeli War of Independence

Arab Name: Nakba (Great Catastrophe)

Result: The Jewish Militias defeated the Arab Militias and the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and auxiliary forces from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The ceasefire established a State larger than the one provided by the provisions of UN Resolution 181.

Arab-Israeli War of 1956

Neutral Name: Suez Crisis

Israeli Name: Sinai War

Arab Name: The War of Tripartite Aggression

Result: In five days the Israeli army captured Gaza, Rafaḥ, and Al-ʿArīsh-taking thousands of prisoners-and occupied most of the peninsula east of the Suez Canal. The ceasefire ceded this land back to Egypt in return for navigation rights on the canal and through the Straits of Tiran.

Arab-Israeli War of 1967

Neutral Name, Israeli Name, and Arab Name: Six-Day War

Result: Within the brief span of six days, the IDF overran the whole Sinai peninsula, up to the Suez Canal; took the entire West Bank of the River Jordan; and in the last days, without the benefit of surprise, captured a great part of the Golan Heights, including the dominant Mount Hermon - from then on "the eyes and ears of Israel". The culminating event was the capture of the Old City of Jerusalem and the re-encounter with the place most revered by Jews, the Western (Wailing) Wall. The blowing of the shofar at the Western Wall reverberated throughout the world.

Arab-Israeli War of 1967-1970

Neutral Name, Israeli Name, and Arab Name: War of Attrition

Result: No change in status before the war began. Both sides (Egypt and Israel) claimed victory.

Arab-Israeli War of 1973

Neutral Name: Arab-Israeli War of 1973

Israeli Name: Yom Kippur War

Arab Name: Ramadan War, October War

Result: The War resulted in early gains for the Egyptian and Syrian forces, but those were turned back by the Israelis by the end of the war. Both sides claimed victory, but it is notable that the ceasefire occurred as Israeli troops were advancing further into both Egypt and Syria.

Lebanese Civil War 1975-1982 (Israeli involvement from 1981-1982)

Neutral Name: Lebanese Civil War

Israeli Name: First Lebanon War

Arab Name: Lebanese Civil War

Result: The War was primarily not an Israeli conflict, but an internal Lebanese struggle. However, militants from Lebanon attacked Israel in 1981 and 1982, prompting an Israeli military response. By the end of the conflict, Syria had intervened as well. The PLO was successfully evicted from Lebanon, and Israel completely withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

Palestinian Intifadas (Uprisings) of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005

Neutral Name, Israeli Name, and Arab Name: First & Second Intifadas

Result: The First Intifada had the effect of producing the Oslo Accords and the first International Recognition of Palestinian Aspirations. The Second Intifada had the effect of primarily destroying the Palestinian economy and lands in the Israeli reaction to the suicide bombers/bombings.

2006 Lebanon War

Neutral Name: 2006 Lebanon War, Israel-Hezbollah War

Israeli Name: Second Lebanon War, War with Hezbollah

Arab Name: July War, Israeli-Invasion of Lebanon

Result: Both sides claim victory as Hezbollah was not effectively prevented from organizing in Lebanon from the War and Israel claims victory because it was on the offensive throughout the conflict. Lebanon (specifically South Lebanon) was the major loser in the conflict, suffering bombings and other problems. Israeli infrastructure had to be repaired following the use of the Katyusha Rockets.

Gazan War of 2008-2009

Neutral Name: Gazan War of 2008-2009

Israeli Name: Operation Cast Lead

Arab Name: Gaza Massacre

Result: Israel won a decisive military victory against Hamas, destroying much of the infrastructure and capabilities of that organization.

Gazan War of 2012

Neutral Name: Gazan War of 2012

Israeli Name: Operation Pillar of Cloud/Pillar of Defense

Arab Name: Operation Stones of Shale

Result: Both sides claim victory. Israel claims that the Iron Dome system effectively prevented Hamas' ability to hurt Israel, but that Hamas suffered several blows. Hamas claims that they were victorious since Israel was forced to concede 3 additional miles of fishing permissions.

Answer 2

Israel has fought in about 10 major wars with its neighbors.

Since there are a number of different Arab-Israeli Wars (wars between Israel and its neighbors) and there are different belligerents in each of them. The Arab countries most often involved have been Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. See the Table Below for more information.

Note: Every Arab-Israeli War involves Israel, although in the Persian Gulf War of 1991 Israel did not retaliate when attacked.

Note 2: Palestine can refer to Palestinian Militias, the PLO/Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority.

This list is not exhaustive.

Years of War Israeli Name Arab Name Egypt Iraq Jordan Lebanon Palestine Saudi Arabia Syria USSR 1947-1949 War of Independence An-Nakba (Catastrophe) YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO 1956 Suez Crisis / Sinai Campaign Tripartite War of Aggression YES NO NO NO YES NO NO NO 1967 Six-Day War Six-Day War / An-Naksa (Setback) YES YES YES NO NO NO YES NO 1967-1970 War of Attrition War of Attrition YES NO YES NO YES NO YES YES 1973 Yom Kippur War Ramadan War / October War YES YES YES NO NO NO YES NO 1980-1982 Lebanon War Lebanese Civil War NO NO NO YES YES NO YES NO 1991 Persian Gulf War Persian Gulf War YES (but against Iraq) YES NO NO NO YES (but against Iraq) YES (but against Iraq) DNE 2006 War on Hezbollah Israeli Invasion of Lebanon NO NO NO YES NO NO YES DNE 2008-2009 Operation Cast Lead Invasion of Gaza NO NO NO NO YES (Gaza Only) NO NO DNE 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense Operation Blue Sky NO NO NO NO YES (Gaza Only) NO NO DNE

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Answer 3

Let's just talk about modern Israel ... the one that became a country in 1948.

Since that time, there are many countries that have never accepted Israel's

existence as a sovereign nation. Unfortunately, several of those are on or close

to Israel's borders, and have found it convenient from time to time to roll their

military forces across the borders and attack Israel. When that happens, Israel

resists the attacks and drives the invading forces back into their own countries.

In addition to that, a few of the countries on Israel's borders have been either

unwilling or unable to restrain certain elements of their own populations from

firing rockets across the borders into Israel's cities.

Now, you have to understand that Israel is a country where drivers are asked

to slow down when they see children crossing the street on the way to school,

and a country that also doesn't appreciate it when its neighbors are launching

ballistic rockets aimed at the same kids ... particularly when the neighbor is a

country with a constitution that says it intends to wipe the Jew-place next door

off the map. So, after every few thousand rockets that fall into its southern

cities and towns, Israel sends its airplanes to fly over the Arab city where

the rockets are coming from, drops leaflets telling people there to move away

from the rocket launchers and stay in their homes, and then sends other aircraft

in to put the rocket launchers out of commission. If it happens that the neighbors

have chosen to do their launching from the front yard of a hospital or a school,

that's really too bad. They're fully aware that these are legitimate targets under

any modern rules of warfare, and they know what's going to happen sooner or

later if they keep launching from those places, and yet they still make the choice

to put their own people in danger.

And that's how it's been since 1948, and it's really regrettable that it's going to

stay that way until the neighbors either resign themselves to having Israel in

the neighborhood, or else do something really stupid that makes Israel really

angry.

Answer 4

Answer 1

It depends where you set the bar. There have been four major wars (1947-48, 1956, 1967, 1973) and countless "minor" armed skirmishes.

Answer 2

There are numerous Conflicts and Quasi-Conflicts in the Arab Israeli Conflict.

Arab-Israeli War of 1947-1949

Neutral Name: Arab-Israeli War of 1948

Israeli Name: Israeli War of Independence

Arab Name: Nakba (Great Catastrophe)

Result: The Jewish Militias defeated the Arab Militias and the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and auxiliary forces from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The ceasefire established a State larger than the one provided by the provisions of UN Resolution 181.

Arab-Israeli War of 1956

Neutral Name: Suez Crisis

Israeli Name: Sinai War

Arab Name: The War of Tripartite Aggression

Result: In five days the Israeli army captured Gaza, Rafaḥ, and Al-ʿArīsh-taking thousands of prisoners-and occupied most of the peninsula east of the Suez Canal. The ceasefire ceded this land back to Egypt in return for navigation rights on the canal and through the Straits of Tiran.

Arab-Israeli War of 1967

Neutral Name, Israeli Name, and Arab Name: Six-Day War

Result: Within the brief span of six days, the IDF overran the whole Sinai peninsula, up to the Suez Canal; took the entire West Bank of the River Jordan; and in the last days, without the benefit of surprise, captured a great part of the Golan Heights, including the dominant Mount Hermon - from then on "the eyes and ears of Israel". The culminating event was the capture of the Old City of Jerusalem and the re-encounter with the place most revered by Jews, the Western (Wailing) Wall. The blowing of the shofar at the Western Wall reverberated throughout the world.

Arab-Israeli War of 1967-1970

Neutral Name, Israeli Name, and Arab Name: War of Attrition

Result: No change in status before the war began. Both sides (Egypt and Israel) claimed victory.

Arab-Israeli War of 1973

Neutral Name: Arab-Israeli War of 1973

Israeli Name: Yom Kippur War

Arab Name: Ramadan War, October War

Result: The War resulted in early gains for the Egyptian and Syrian forces, but those were turned back by the Israelis by the end of the war. Both sides claimed victory, but it is notable that the ceasefire occurred as Israeli troops were advancing further into both Egypt and Syria.

Lebanese Civil War 1975-1982 (Israeli involvement from 1981-1982)

Neutral Name: Lebanese Civil War

Israeli Name: First Lebanon War

Arab Name: Lebanese Civil War

Result: The War was primarily not an Israeli conflict, but an internal Lebanese struggle. However, militants from Lebanon attacked Israel in 1981 and 1982, prompting an Israeli military response. By the end of the conflict, Syria had intervened as well. The PLO was successfully evicted from Lebanon, and Israel completely withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

Palestinian Intifadas (Uprisings) of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005

Neutral Name, Israeli Name, and Arab Name: First & Second Intifadas

Result: The First Intifada had the effect of producing the Oslo Accords and the first International Recognition of Palestinian Aspirations. The Second Intifada had the effect of primarily destroying the Palestinian economy and lands in the Israeli reaction to the suicide bombers/bombings.

2006 Lebanon War

Neutral Name: 2006 Lebanon War, Israel-Hezbollah War

Israeli Name: Second Lebanon War, War with Hezbollah

Arab Name: July War, Israeli-Invasion of Lebanon

Result: Both sides claim victory as Hezbollah was not effectively prevented from organizing in Lebanon from the War and Israel claims victory because it was on the offensive throughout the conflict. Lebanon (specifically South Lebanon) was the major loser in the conflict, suffering bombings and other problems. Israeli infrastructure had to be repaired following the use of the Katyusha Rockets.

Gazan War of 2008-2009

Neutral Name: Gazan War of 2008-2009

Israeli Name: Operation Cast Lead

Arab Name: Gaza Massacre

Result: Israel won a decisive military victory against Hamas, destroying much of the infrastructure and capabilities of that organization.

Gazan War of 2012

Neutral Name: Gazan War of 2012

Israeli Name: Operation Pillar of Cloud/Pillar of Defense

Arab Name: Operation Stones of Shale

Result: Both sides claim victory. Israel claims that the Iron Dome system effectively prevented Hamas' ability to hurt Israel, but that Hamas suffered several blows. Hamas claims that they were victorious since Israel was forced to concede 3 additional miles of fishing permissions.

Answer 5

All of them. As soon as Israel loses a war, the country ceases to exist. Israel won wars in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2008. And they were outnumbered as much as 20-1 in terms of size of army, number of tanks, planes, and equipment. The USA should be so lucky.

Answer 6

Answer 1

Reading between the lines in the one-line question, you'd probably have to say that Israel started all of them, by resisting the Arab armies either massed along its border or already rolling across it.

Answer 2

In terms of the typical definition of Wars starting, a declaration of war, even with a viable causus belli, is still a war started by a country.

Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9: The Arab States declared War on Israel.

Arab-Israeli War of 1956: Israel joined the British and French declarations of war against Egypt for blocking their shipping through international trade routes.

Arab-Israeli War of 1967: Israel launched a pre-emptive war based on relatively clear intentions of the Arab countries for a near-time war.

Arab-Israeli War of Attrition: Egypt consistently attacked Israeli positions. Israel only retaliated.

Arab-Israeli War of 1973: Israel was invaded in surprise attack.

Lebanese Civil War: Israel was attacked by the PLO before responding (and the war had already been going on for 4 years before Israel's involvement)

War in Lebanon of 2006: Israel declared war on the Hezbollah militant organization after it kidnapped their soldiers

Operation Cast Lead: Israel declared war on Hamas after repeated rocket attakcs.

Answer 7

Israel has never been at war with Palestine, because "Palestine" as we know it today, has never been an independent country. Some day in the future, that will change.

Answer 8

7

Answer 9

4