This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6721401.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Mid-East marks start of 1967 War Mid-East marks start of 1967 War
(about 5 hours later)
Israeli and Palestinian peace activists are planning protests to mark 40 years since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. Israeli and Palestinian peace activists have been holding protests to mark 40 years since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
In Tel Aviv, protesters will erect a dummy checkpoint to portray restrictions on West Bank Palestinians. Protests were taking place in the West Bank and Tel Aviv, but Israeli police prevented a Palestinian conference on the anniversary in Jerusalem.
But in Jerusalem, Israeli police prevented a Palestinian conference to mark the anniversary from taking place. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said creating a Palestinian state would wipe out the memory of the Arab defeat.
The so-called Six-Day War changed the geo-political map of the Middle East, establishing Israel as the region's dominant military force. The Six-Day War changed the map of the Middle East, establishing Israel as the region's dominant military force.
Air strikesAir strikes
Before the war, the 19-year-old Jewish state had been awash with fear, as Arab armies massed on its borders.Before the war, the 19-year-old Jewish state had been awash with fear, as Arab armies massed on its borders.
Egypt's air force was destroyed by Israeli raids
UN peacekeepers had been expelled from the Sinai, and Egypt had closed the Red Sea to Israeli shipping.UN peacekeepers had been expelled from the Sinai, and Egypt had closed the Red Sea to Israeli shipping.
In an extraordinary showdown on the eve of war, Israeli generals swore and shouted at the prime minister that Israel had to strike first to be sure of victory.In an extraordinary showdown on the eve of war, Israeli generals swore and shouted at the prime minister that Israel had to strike first to be sure of victory.
The conflict began with air strikes which destroyed much of Egypt's air power on the ground. The conflict began with air strikes that destroyed much of Egypt's air power on the ground.
By the end of the fighting, Israel had defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria.By the end of the fighting, Israel had defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
It captured territory three times the size of the country as it was on 4 June.It captured territory three times the size of the country as it was on 4 June.
The Golan Heights and Palestinian territory in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem remain under its control to this day.The Golan Heights and Palestinian territory in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem remain under its control to this day.
The Israeli cabinet is to meet this week to discuss whether to restart peace talks with Syria. Conference banned
Israeli Pensions Minister Rafi Eitan told local radio that Israel should consider the Golan Heights as a bargaining chip, if Syria was sincere about negotiation. The Israeli government marked the anniversary with Jerusalem Day celebrations last month, in accordance with the Hebrew calendar.
Egyptian reluctance The memory of [defeat] we hope will be erased by ending the occupation... and by establishing our independent state Mahmoud Abbas class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/6722433.stm">Anniversary: Press review
Simultaneous rallies are to be held in Tel Aviv and East Jerusalem, while the anti-settlement campaign group Peace Now is planning a protest in the divided West Bank city of Hebron. Israel has arranged no other official ceremonies for the anniversary and BBC correspondents in Jerusalem say there is a reflective mood and no fanfare.
Egypt's air force was destroyed by Israeli raids Several hundred Palestinian activists held a rally in Ramallah in the West Bank, while more protesters marched to the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus - a key local symbol of the Israeli occupation.
And in the West Bank city of Ramallah Palestinians were expected to observe a minute's silence at 0900 GMT. In Hebron, about 250 activists of the Israeli anti-settlement group, Peace Now, marched while shouting: "End, end the occupation!"
But Israel banned a Palestinian conference due to be held in East Jerusalem.But Israel banned a Palestinian conference due to be held in East Jerusalem.
Police deployed around the hotel hosting the conference, titled "Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state, how to transform slogans into reality", notifying the organisers of the ban. Protests at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus, West Bank
Police deployed around the hotel hosting the conference, entitled "Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state, how to transform slogans into reality", notifying the organisers of the ban.
More events will be held throughout the week, culminating in anti-occupation protests around the world on Saturday.More events will be held throughout the week, culminating in anti-occupation protests around the world on Saturday.
The Israeli government marked the anniversary with Jerusalem Day celebrations last month according to the Hebrew calendar. In an address to mark the anniversary, Mr Abbas remembered the "massive defeat" for the Arabs.
But in Egypt there are no official events to mark the anniversary or the sacrifice of those who died - just the occasional newspaper article recalling what happened. But he also said: "Despite all the difficulties our revolt was equal to this defeat, the memory of which we hope will be erased by ending the occupation of Arab and Palestinian territory and by establishing our independent state."
Egypt had been defeated and even if the country eventually recovered the Sinai peninsula, which it lost in 1967, many Egyptians remain reluctant to discuss the war, says the BBC's Owen Bennett Jones in Cairo. However, he also warned that recent infighting among Palestinians had left them "on the verge of a civil war".
The reticence is in part a reflection of Egypt's demographics, our correspondent says. Most Egyptians had not even been born when the 1967 war took place. In Egypt there are no official events to mark the anniversary or the sacrifice of those who died - just the occasional newspaper article recalling what happened.