by Petra van der Zande

Prelude to the Six Day War

In June 1964 Israel had inaugurated the National Water Carrier. The 94 mile long pipeline that pumped water from the Sea of Galilee all the way to the Negev, caused uproar in the Arab countries - they immediately put their armies on high alert. Fatah's first (failed) terror attack was against the water carrier.

The Arab Summit debated about the diversion of Jordan River's tributaries, knowing full well that Israel's main water source fed the Sea of Galilee and the rest of the country. The Syrians immediately went to work.

During the summer of 1966, when the Syrians increased the tension on the northern border, then Chief of Staff Yitzchak Rabin responded with force - the only language the Syrians understood. Having to deal with so many security problems cost money the State didn't have, so little Israel had to undergo another severe recession.

While keeping a weary eye on their Arab neighbors, Israelis tried to live their lives as normal as possible and hoped the threats of war would blow over.

May 1967 - Jordanian King Hussein and Egyptian President Nasser signed a defense pact. The USA balked, for they had armed Jordan under the assurance that the weapons would never to be used against Israel. Jordan promptly broke off ties with America. Egypt then signed another military alliance with Syria and Iraq. Because of an earlier agreement between Iraq and Jordan, Iraqi military units quickly took position on the West Bank and in the Hebron area. Egypt closed the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping and told the UN troops that were stationed in the Gaza Strip to get out.

The only thing Israelis wanted was to be left in peace. Not much had changed since the time of Queen Esther. The enemies of the Jews were still determined to annihilate the Apple of God's eye. The young nation had to prepare and brace itself to fight another war.

"Remember how the enemy has mocked you, o Lord.... Rise up, O God, and defend your cause. Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually." Psalm 74:18, 22,23. NIV

With war looming on the horizon, civilians rushed to the shops and began to stock up on food. Soon there was not only a food shortage, but a cash shortage as well -panicked civilians withdrew huge sums of money from their banks. Bomb shelters were prepared and ditches dug to be used as emergency shelters. Along with most of the reservists in Israel, several teachers from Haifa's Bible College and the Mount Carmel School were called up in the middle of the night.   

June 5, 1967 - a black-out was in force from sunset to sunrise. Refusing to listen to Israel's entreaties not to engage in war, the Jordanian King attacked Jerusalem from the east. Soon, the wailing of air-raid sirens was heard throughout the country, prompting civilians to run to the shelters. Especially Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were heavily shelled.

The first day of the war was the beginning of many miracles. That morning, Israeli pilots destroyed the Egyptian Air force on the ground. In the afternoon, the Jordanian air force followed suit. Within one hour, 2/3 of the Iraqi air force was in shambles. 
For Irene, it was a time of ‘triple-duty'. In addition to her own tasks [principle of Mt. Carmel school in Haifa] she had to take on extra duties of teachers that had gone off to war. Like Queen Esther had done for her people, Irene too felt the need to fast - Israel's future hung in the balance - again. Whenever she could, she went to Dr. Churcher to pray with other believers.
The parents of the children in the boarding school were contacted. "Would you like your child to come home, or stay at ‘Bethel'?" [boarding school]. The only child that went home was hurt when he was out riding on his bicycle. Because the situation grew tenser each day, Irene didn't want to leave the school, even to go to prayer meetings. So instead of walking to the CMJ, [Church's Mission to the Jews] the believers began to meet on the school veranda.
During the war, schools continued as usual, so every hour, the teachers opened the classroom doors for everyone to hear the latest news. "Haifa's oil refineries are bombed," the newsreader said. Everyone rushed to the window overlooking Haifa Bay. From what they saw, this was not the case.
The American government was afraid that aid to Israel would lead to an American oil crisis. "We prefer to stay ‘neutral' in this conflict."

Israel was blessed by 3,600 international volunteers who arrived to help her fight this war. (Some were disappointed to find that the war was already over by the time they arrived.)

June 6, 1967. It was afternoon, English lessons time, and Irene decided to tell the flannel graph story of David and Goliath. She had reached the point where David defeats Goliath, when the radio news came on, "Israel has turned back the enemy at the Sinai desert and has almost reached the Suez Canal." The children's mouths fell open. "The West Bank is now in Israeli hands," the announcer continued, "including Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho and Bethlehem."

"Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord!" Irene lifted her hands. It was a time to praise and thank the Lord for so many miracles.

June 7. At the Mt. Carmel School, classes continued as usual, with an hourly break to listen to the latest radio announcements. Irene was surprised to see Mr. Ben Maier entering the building. His face beamed when he announced, "All of Jerusalem is now united under Israeli rule!"

That morning, Motta Gur and his paratroopers had been able to break through the Old City's Lion's Gate and liberated the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.

"The Temple Mount is OURS!" Israelis would never forget Motta Gur's words coming over the radio. Shlomo Goren, the Army's Chief Rabbi, blew the Shofar. With tears in their eyes, the weary, dust covered soldiers reverently touched the ancient stones. Many stood with their heads bowed, reciting psalms. "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its cunning."

The rest of the country still found it hard to believe that after 19 long years Jerusalem was back into Israeli hands! Two weeks before the war, during Israel's 19^th Independence Day, Naomi Shemer's song had touched many hearts. Now, it was heard everywhere, "Yerushaliyim shel zahav, veshel nechoshet veshel or, halo lechol Shirayich ani kinor."  "Jerusalem of Gold' was heard coming from cars, shops or people singing it. When the songwriter heard the news that Jerusalem had been united, she immediately added another verse. This song, set on a beautiful melody, became a kind of second national anthem.

"The wine-clear mountain air and the scent of pines are wafted on the winds of dusk, together with the sound of bells. And with slumbering tree and stone, the solitary city, with a wall through its heart, is held captive in its dream.

Jerusalem of gold, of light of bronze - I am the violin for all your songs.

The wells are dry, and the market place empty. No one visits the Temple Mount in the Old City. Through the caves in the rocks, the winds howl and no one goes down to the Dead Sea by way of Jericho.

Still, today as I come to sing to you, and fashion for you crowns, I feel smaller than your youngest sons, less than the least of your poets. For your name will scorch my lips, like a seraph's kiss. If I forget you, Jerusalem, City all of gold.

We've returned now to the wells, the market and the square; and the ram's horn from the Temple Mount in the Old City. And through the caves in the rocks, a thousands suns do shine. We can go once more to the dead Sea by way of Jericho. Jerusalem of gold...."

Yerushaliyim shel zahav...   

Irene was thrilled and awed, when she realized that prophecies had been fulfilled right before her eyes. Israelis walked with a new spring in their step and a wave of contagious joy spread over the country. But the war wasn't over yet, and because of their wounded pride, the enemy fool heartedly continued to fight. Israeli soldiers were still risking their lives up on the Golan. Irene continued to fast, but because of the heat, did drink water.

While reading her Bible, Irene was amazed how many times she came across the words "Adonai Tzavaot" (The Lord of Hosts - the Armies). The prolonged fasting had weakened her, but something happened when Irene began to proclaim God's promises. "The Heavenly host fights alongside Israel." The words spoke to her heart. "Lord, I can feel it - You're strengthening the Israeli soldiers!"  June 8 - the Syrian positions on the Golan, which for so many years had made life a living hell for the people living in the valley below, had been captured by Israeli soldiers.

June 9 - After the ceasefire with Jordan, volunteers from Tel Aviv and Haifa rushed to Jerusalem, to help the city return to normal. Irene would have loved to join them, but knew she had to stay with the children.

Egyptian Nasser and Jordanian Hussein were licking their wounded pride. "We'll blame the Arab defeat on US and British air intervention," they agreed, and vowed to never forget, nor forgive Israel for this humiliating defeat.

June 10 - The Golan Heights were now in Israeli hands.

June 12 - That Saturday night, believers from the Bethesda fellowship assembled on the veranda of Mt. Carmel School. While they were having communion, someone began to sing, "It is finished, was His cry..." 

"It is finished!" A shock went through Irene. "The war is over!" Feeling weak from fasting, she leaned against the wall. "At least I'll be able to eat again after the meeting," she thought. Later Irene learned that the last cease fire had come into effect exactly at that hour.  When Jesus hung on the cross and cried out "It is finished", He accomplished her salvation. That same Jesus was also the "Captain of the Hosts". Yeshua was alive today!

"We'll be able to travel to the Golan Heights again!" Irene clapped her hands for joy. "Oh! And all the other areas Israel conquered."

After six days of heavy fighting, the magnitude of the Israeli victory gradually dawned upon Israel and the world. The "Six Day War", as it became known, surely had been a ‘miracle' war from beginning to end.

This is an excerpt from the soon to be published book about the life of Irene Levi - an extraordinary woman of God.