The 12-Day War: A Tactical Failure, Yet a Strategic Win for Israel

Ardishir Rashidi Kalhur | Exclusive to iKurd.net

On the observance of the Jewish Sabbath, on Saturday June 10, 1967 Israel stopped the now well-known the Six-Day War [1] against a coalition of Arab counties led by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The war resulted in the defeat of the Arab coalition, adding to Israel territorial gains, now acknowledged as the Israeli- occupied Territories [2].

The City of Jerusalem (Eastern part), the Golan Heights, Palestinian lands, and the Sinai Peninsula were among the areas that fell under the control of Israel after the Six Day War. Arab struggle supported by the 22 members Arab League to reverse the Israeli occupation started the onset of dispute and conflict between the Arabs and Israel which has lasted to the present day.

However, with the rise of Israel’s military power backed by the West, and ideological reasoning, Israel has pursued an intransigent policy not to relinquish control of the occupied lands, especially the occupation of East Jerusalem.

The initial Six-Day War was between the Arab countries and Israel was considered to be a national war, however, with occupation of the East Jerusalem, the conflict became religionized as a Jewish-Muslim conflict, with roots in ancient history.

Hassan al-Banna the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt, 1940s. Photo: Creative Commons/wikipedia

A religious conflict in which the feelings of even the most peaceful Muslims was boiled to revolutionary and violent fervent against the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

On the Muslim side, two major driving ideologies that keeps fueling the conflict can be traced back to two Islamic movements developed by two individuals by the name of Hassan, each with a zealot ideology of their own, and with a large followers today that make up the so named the fighting Islamic Army of Conquest.

The Sunni Ideology of Muslim Brotherhood founded by Hassan al Banna from Egypt in 1928.
The Shia Ideology of the Order of Assassins founded in 1090 by Hassan Sabah a Persian with headquarter near modern day Tehran, in the Alamut Castel [3].

Without delving into decades and centuries of history, the current conflicts in the Middle East, is mostly the results of the above two Islamic ideologies on one hand, and the creation of the new State of Israel in 1948 with its own perceived ideology of Zionism on the other hand.

Each ideology has its own standing standard-bearers who are continuing the fight against each other by provoking a religious war, and state sponsored terrorism. On the Muslim side, the fight has been to regain control of the lost Arab lands and the entire Levant region including Israel itself.

Outside of the Arab World, two countries in the region have taken on Israel on the basis of Islamic ideology but ultimately their use of Islam as a rallying cry to serve their own nationalistic interests.

Turkey’s Erdogan, leading the AK Party in Turkey, beside Qatar, has gained a new ally in Syria, a former Al Qaeda warlord Mr. Ahmad al Sharaa, of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Mr. Sharaa who is empowered by Turkey and Qatar, all are the followers of the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood founded by Mr. Hassan Banna and his political ideology. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is the Arabic word which translates as The Committee for the liberation of Levant. Levant, is a region in the Middle East which includes the

State of Israel which according to Muslim Brotherhood political goal, is to be subsumed by them for Turkey and for the Neo-Ottoman Turks in the name of Islam.

Iran’s Ayatollahs, founders of the current Islamic regime, are in reality the followers of the second school of religious belief, by Hassan Sabah, Founder of the Persian Assassins. This reincarnation of Hassan Sabah came to life after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, which shortly after they came to power, the regime started assassinating all their political opponents one after another [4].

They too, the Neo-Persian Assassins in power in Iran, have openly called for the destruction of Israel, and for the liberation of Quds, the City of Jerusalem. For this cause, they have a dedicated and specially trained force known as the Quds forces who are a part of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp), to carry out this mission with the help of their proxy Shia groups across the Middle East.

Reacting to these formidable Islamic forces, Israel, out of desperation, has chosen the policy of Kill or be killed tactic, reacting in all directions to one act of terrorism after another, forcing Israel to the point of outright wars against Iran and Syria.

This Israeli war plan, has killed many innocent human beings which continues with no end in sight. Many innocent Palestinians who are too young to be a part of any ideological group, are now on the verge of death by starvation, living in unsanitary conditions, weak and ill, some even committing suicide, all in plain sight of the international community.

We see today war with Iran, and its proxies who continue to call for the destruction of Israel is the cause of ongoing Palestinian sufferings. With Syria too, and possibly more wars to come as long as groups like ISIS/ISIL/Al Qaeda/ HTS/IRGC or even Turkey’s Erdogan with his AK Muslim Brotherhood party try to gain more power so in due time, to push for amassing a huge Islamic Army of Conquest in Al Sham, The Levant, at the doorstep of the State of Israel.

From Israel points of view, these group who collectively can be compared the Gog and Magog of our present time, are a real existential threat to the survival of Israel, and must be confronted now rather than later, when they get even stronger in numbers and with more deadly weapons including nuclear arm.

On Israel’s part, the 12 Day War, is the continuation of the Six-Day War, with no Jewish Sabbath break this time. But why did the war with Iran was suspended on the 12th day? Can we say the numerology superstition in the Bible had something to do with it?

Perhaps! since the number 12, appears in the Book of Numbers in Hebrew Bible in many passages, symbolizing the power and the authority of God, not only being the creators of all things in the universe, but also, the creator of the most perfect and most powerful government. This, the Israelis believe that as the chosen people, God has bestowed this power to the nation of Israel! and it should be used to eliminate the Gog and Magog before they annihilate Israel!

Can we say, by the above interpretations, that the future war with Syria may be called the 13 Day War, since that country for well over the last 13 years has been mired in rebellions and lawlessness? Since in the Bible number 13 represent chaos and lawlessness Israel can find it to be its Biblical duty to justify invading Syria in the name of bringing “law and order” to “chaos and lawlessness” in Syria.

Can we extrapolate further, by numerology superstition, that the 17 Day War will be with the Big and looming Threat! Turkey, the mothership of Islamic Jihadists, led by Erdogan, the mastermind of creating the Turkistan Islamic Party and the Islamic Army of Conquest comprising of all the militant jihadists, follower of the Muslim Brotherhood mentioned above.

On part of the Israel strategic planners, preparation, and Justification for a future war with Turkey, is not a farfetched scenario, since Turkey, like Iran has not hidden its political intentions to reclaim the lands of the Levant (Al-Sham), for the Neo- Ottomans [5].

This confrontation of forces, can be compared to the famous paradox which says, what happens when an “unstoppable force, meets an immovable object”? In this case, Israel is now the “unstoppable force”, and the Middle East with its frozen borders ruled by stone age ideologies of the past, are the “immovable object”.

Is there a solution to this paradox? The answer is yes, if we consider that the 12 Day War, was a tactical failure for Israel, and at the same time it was a huge strategic win for Israel to be continued.

First, Israel Tactical Failure in the 12 Day War with Iran:

The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 1970s. Photo: Creative Commons/iKurd.net/wikimedia

Going back to pre-Islamic revolution of 1979, the former Shah of Iran had a deep and friendly relations with the State of Israel. Several factors contributed to this strategic alliance between the two countries; an alliance to the deep dissatisfactions of Iran’s Islamic clerics, chief among them, the Ayatollah Khomeini who had been exiled to Najaf in Iraq who returned to Iran in 1979 by overthrowing the Shah and emboldening the anti-Israeli jihadists.

Following are some of the factors that contributed to this strong alliance between Israel and Iran under the Shah:

The Arab nations were considered to be hostile to both Israel and Iran as non-Arab countries. The enemy of my enemy is my friend logic for both countries.
The long-lived Jewish community in Iran had a powerful influence on Iran’s economy and was more affluent than their average Iranian counterparts under the Shah.
Israel provided the Shah with scientific knowledge and expertise to stay in power and to put the country on a fast truck to Westernization.
Members of the Baha’i faith, who were accused of being “Freemasons,” had a very strong economic and political influence on the Shah’s political decision-making. Therefore, the Baha’i community in Iran was a staunch supporter of Israel because the shrine of their spiritual leader Baha’u’llah is located in Acre, near the city of Haifa in Israel. This group, as a religious minority, suffered greatly under the Islamic regime.
The location of the ancient tomb of queen Esther in Western Iran, who rescued the Jews people from the Ire of Persian king Xerxes (518 B.C. 465 B.C. )
The biblical story of Cyrus the great and his efforts to liberated the Jewish people from the Babylonian captivity. This was considered an act of mercy by Cyrus toward the Jewish people which in return, Israel returned the favor to Shah during his reign.
Iran’s economic and security importance to the State of Israel under the Shah.

Two Iranian Islamic Shiite clerics talking to each other at a religious conference in Qom., March 10, 2011. Photo: Reuters

The Israel policies toward Iran has been mostly shaped by the above factors manifested in two phase planning against the current regime.

Elimination of the Iranian Islamic regime and its Shia proxy groups including the Hamas who are actually Sunni Muslims.
Bringing about a Regime Change and returning to power the son of the former Shah to restore all that was once good and favorable to Israel under the Shah.

Given the outcome of the 12-Day War, none of the above factors helped bring about Plans A or B, and they were not successful at all. Therefore, the 12-Day War may be considered a failure for Israel because it did not achieve its intended goals. This is especially true regarding the overuse of the role that Cyrus the Great once played in helping with the liberation of the Jewish people, and Israel’s claim that it was time to return the favor by liberating the Iranian (i.e., Persian) people.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, April 24, 2025. Photo: Israel PM’s Press Office

Unlike Alexander the Great who received tutelage from his wise mentor like Aristotle, before he went to war against the Persians, and made them flee like flies in the battle of Gaugamela, in 331 B.C., Mr. Netanyahu should have consulted the wise elders among the Jewish Rabbis, that the liberation of Jewish people under the Assyrian captivities began first under the third King of the Medes Cyaxares in 612 B.C., when Cyrus was only a little boy.

The political intention to help the Jewish people to be liberated first from the Assyrians and then from the Babylonians was a part of the Medes war policies which continued by Cyrus who in some historical texts is referred to as being a Mede Prince and not a Persian Prince.

The other point is worth mentioning is that it was Amytis a Mede princess, who was the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II, of Babylon, who adamantly pleaded with her husband not to sac Jerusalem and not to destroy the Temple of Solamon.

Also, on the account of Cyrus being a proponent of Human Rights, as is now known by the famous Cyrus cylinder in the Louvre Museum, that the Persian Guards headed by Cyrus were living in Shusha and within the Achaemenids tribe.

They had no knowledge of reading or writing, nor had they a history of clay writings to make such a declaration of human rights on a clay cylinder. It is fair to say that some archaeologists believe that Cyrus may have plagiarized an already existing clay cylinder which could have been created during the time of Hammurabi of earlier Babylonian period around 1800 B.C.

Medes and Persians at eastern stairs of the Apadana, Persepolis. Photo: Creative Commons/Wikipedia

If respect for human rights was a part of the Persian culture, Iran under their rule would not have committed such gross violations of human rights regime after regime and for 2500 years!, This is why not too many invited world leaders who were the guests of the Shah’s 2500 years Persian “Empire” celebration believed in the authenticity of Persians being a great nation or creator of a great civilization.

In fact, the word Persin is a Job Title which means a Guard not empire or civilization builders. This title belongs to the Medes, and especially to Cyaxares (Kay-Khasro or Kaiser), who are considered to be the forefathers of the the Kurds of today.

The reason for Mr. Nathanyahu failure was that he relied heavily on the fictitious emotions and the falsehood of history and bet on so to speak a ‘dead horse” called “Persian monarchy” to topple the regime. The Iranian people did not go for it because they felt they are asked to put in

their mouth a piece of stepped-on gum that had already been used with no more hygiene or flavors left in it. Indeed, they consider the return of the shah’s son to be dangerous and causing a civil war within the country. So was the reason they did not rush to the streets in Iran to invite him back to Iran with open arms. This was a big miscalculation and a huge Failure by Israel.

Second, The Strategic Win by Israel, in the 12 Day War with Iran

The suspended 12 Day War, has shuttered the myth about Iran’s military might. For over 45 years, the people of Iran wanted to believe in the spiritual power of their government they had chosen, just to find out that they have been lied to, cheated, and deprived of any freedom and human rights enjoyed by secular societies.

Furthermore, as it stands, the situation between Israel and Iran reminds one of the movie called the “Black Knight” in which King Arthur, faces a stubborn opponent which in a challenge with the “black night”, the knight loses one arm, and he doesn’t give up, but claims victory, the fight continues and the knight loses another arm, and he still claims victory again, then on it goes by losing a leg, then another leg, and keeps on claiming that he is the victor! Until nothing is left a talking head on a funny bust!

Like the Black Knight in the movie, the Iranian regime keeps claiming victory over Israel, but the people have come to believe that the Regime and their top military echelon, have been decapitated one by one, yet out of in vain pride, they keep saying their Islamic regime is still victorious!

What is Next?

Most Iranians are no longer worried about the regime change anymore, as they have loudly rejected the return of the remnant of the unwanted old regime, nor do they want to live under the stone age ideology of the current regime. This leaves only one solution to the Paradox mentioned above.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praying, 2015. Photo: Twitter/X

In order to remove the immovable object out of the way, which is not only the Islamic Republic of Iran, but also the looming threat by Erdogan’s AK Party, vis-a-vis Syria, trying to resurrect the ghost of the Ottomans past. Solution to Iran-Turkey led hostility against Israel, is in changing the map of the Middle East which was unjustly drawn by the Syke-Picot agreement.

Israel shall consider joining the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union, to provide support for the national minorities living under the Turk-o-Persian Islamic rules. Iran has come to the end of its natural life-span, out of which will be born new independent states. Kurds & Lurs, Azeris, Arabs, and Baloch who have put up a very long and a heroic struggle against the abuses of the central government in Iran are due to gain their long overdue and legitimate freedom.

Israel, as well as the West, will be surprised to see the transformation of the Middle East from one that is religiously militaristic, ultra-nationalistic, terroristic at times, to a region that will be secular, respectful of human rights, cooperative and willing to change and develop the region economically in peace with Israel and with the rest of the world.