The Great Conversation: Did Israel Always Attack First… Or Is History More Complicated?

Hello everyone, and welcome to The Great Conversation.

Today, let’s take a moment to reflect on a question that often comes up… but is rarely explored with depth.

Did Israel always attack its neighbors?

Or is the reality more complex than that?

Because when we look at history, starting from 1948, what we find isn’t a simple pattern…

It’s a cycle.

A cycle of wars, responses, preemptive strikes, and retaliation.

In 1948, when Israel was founded, it was immediately attacked by surrounding Arab states.

But in later years, there were moments when Israel struck first —sometimes as a response to growing threats, sometimes as a strategic decision.

Other times, conflicts were triggered by non-state groups…uprisings…or long-standing tensions that had been building for years.

What becomes clear is this:

There isn’t a single narrative.

There are multiple timelines, perspectives, and interpretations —all overlapping, all influencing how people understand the conflict today.

And that’s what makes this conversation so difficult…

Because it’s not just about who acted first.

It’s about why.

It’s about context.

It’s about history that continues to shape the present.

So the real question is:

Can we understand a conflict…

if we only look at one side of its story?

Take a moment to reflect.

And if you want to explore the full historical timeline, take a look below.

Here is a comprehensive historical transcript of Israel's major wars from 1948 to the Iran conflict — including who initiated each conflict:

📜 Israel's Wars: A Historical Transcript (1948 – 2026)

⚔️ 1. THE 1948 WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1948–1949)

Who Started It: Arab States

Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948. The declaration was immediately followed by an invasion by neighboring Arab states — Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. On the eve of May 14, the Arabs launched an air attack on Tel Aviv, which the Israelis resisted, followed by the invasion of Arab armies from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.

Israel did not start this war. It was attacked the day it was born. Israel ultimately won, and at least 700,000 Palestinian refugees fled their homes in an exodus known to Palestinians as the Nakba ("catastrophe").

⚔️ 2. THE SUEZ CRISIS (1956)

Who Started It: Egypt provoked; Israel, UK & France attacked

The 1956 Suez Crisis began after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. A French, British, and Israeli coalition attacked Egypt and occupied the canal zone, but soon withdrew under international pressure. Egypt had closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping and blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba, contravening international law.

Israel did initiate the military strike here, alongside Western allies, in response to Egyptian economic aggression.

⚔️ 3. THE SIX-DAY WAR (1967)

Who Started It: Israel launched preemptive strikes

The Six-Day War of 1967 began when, in response to Arab neighbors' apparent mobilization for war, Israel attacked and destroyed Egypt's and Syria's air forces. Following the war, the territory held by Israel expanded significantly: the West Bank from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria, and Sinai and Gaza from Egypt.

Israel struck first, but did so preemptively as Arab armies massed on its borders. The war lasted only six days and was one of the most decisive military victories in modern history.

⚔️ 4. THE WAR OF ATTRITION (1967–1970)

Who Started It: Egypt

A limited war fought between Israel and Egypt, the USSR, Jordan, Syria, and the PLO from 1967 to 1970. It was initiated by Egypt as a way of recapturing the Sinai from Israel. The hostilities ended with a ceasefire in 1970 with frontiers unchanged.

⚔️ 5. THE YOM KIPPUR WAR (1973)

Who Started It: Egypt and Syria

The Yom Kippur War was fought from October 6 to 26, 1973, by a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria against Israel, as a way of recapturing territories lost in the Six-Day War. The war began with a surprise joint attack on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

Israel was caught almost completely off guard. After heavy early losses, Israel rallied and pushed back both armies. In 1979, Egypt made peace with Israel, formally ending the 30-year state of war between the two countries.

⚔️ 6. THE 1982 LEBANON WAR

Who Started It: Israel invaded

The 1982 Lebanon War began on June 6, 1982, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon to expel the PLO. The government ordered the invasion as a response to the assassination attempt on Israel's ambassador to the UK, and due to constant terror attacks on northern Israel from Palestinian guerrilla organizations in Lebanon. Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon by 1985.

⚔️ 7. THE FIRST INTIFADA (1987–1993) & SECOND

INTIFADA (2000–2005)

Who Started It: Palestinian uprisings

These were large-scale Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. They were not conventional wars but prolonged conflicts involving riots, bombings, and Israeli military responses — resulting in thousands of deaths on both sides.

⚔️ 8. THE 2006 LEBANON WAR

Who Started It: Hezbollah

In 2006, Hezbollah launched an operation against Israel and, over the ensuing month, fought Israeli forces to a standstill. Hezbollah crossed into Israel, killed eight soldiers, and kidnapped two others — triggering a major Israeli air and ground campaign in Lebanon.

⚔️ 9. GAZA WARS (2008–2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, 2023–present)

Who Started Most: Hamas rocket fire triggered Israeli responses

On October 7, 2023, Hamas led the most brutal assault against Israel since its independence, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 240 others hostage. Israel declared a state of war the next day and carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip followed by a ground invasion. Weeks of air strikes rapidly led to the displacement of more than half of Gaza's population.

⚔️ 10. THE TWELVE-DAY WAR / OPERATION RISING LION (June 2025)

Who Started It: Israel struck first

In the early hours of June 13, 2025, the IDF attacked dozens of Iranian nuclear facilities, military bases, and infrastructure. By 06:30 local time, the Israeli Air Force had launched five waves of airstrikes using more than 200 fighter jets to drop over 330 munitions on about 100 targets.

Netanyahu described Iran's nuclear efforts as "a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival," and said the operation would continue "for as many days as it takes."

During the war, which lasted from June 13 to June 24, 2025, Iran launched 525 ballistic missiles toward Israel. Between 50 and 60 struck Israeli territory, killing 28 civilians.

⚔️ 11. THE 2026 IRAN WAR / OPERATION EPIC FURY (February 2026)

Who Started It: US & Israel

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel conducted military strikes in Iran. The Israeli Air Force said it struck 500 military targets in western and central Iran in the largest combat sortie in its history, using over 1,200 bombs in 24 hours.

In retaliation, Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel and US military bases in neighboring Arab countries including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. This conflict is still unfolding as of April 2026.

🔎 SUMMARY: Did Israel Always Attack First?

No. The historical record is more nuanced:

War	Who Struck First
1948 War of Independence	Arab states attacked Israel
1956 Suez Crisis	Israel/UK/France attacked Egypt
1967 Six-Day War	Israel preemptive strike
1973 Yom Kippur War	Egypt & Syria attacked Israel
1982 Lebanon War	Israel invaded Lebanon
2006 Lebanon War	Hezbollah attacked Israel
2023 Gaza War	Hamas attacked Israel
2025 Operation Rising Lion	Israel struck Iran first
2026 Iran War	US & Israel struck Iran

Israel has both initiated conflicts (often preemptively) and been the victim of surprise attacks. The pattern reflects a nation that has fought for survival throughout its existence, sometimes striking first to prevent existential threats, and sometimes responding to attacks launched against it.