The War of Attrition was a very complicated type of conflict. It was more of a guerrilla war than a full scale confrontation, however it was fought between regular armies, navies, and aircraft squadrons. The only difference is that this war was on and off. egypt would bombard the Israeli lines with missiles and then send out its attackers to catch the Israelis off guard, then there would be a lull in the fighting until egypt would attack again. Israel was basically under siege, and it didn't have much of a means for retaliation since it wasn't willing to invade egypt proper. To make things worse, the soviets fought the Israeli Air Force, along with the egyptians, and they set up and manned the missile batteries for the egyptians. So in reality Israel was also fighting the russians, and the conflict was expanded into "cold war" terms. Thus it was an arab-Israeli conflict on the one side, and an "east-west" (soviet-american) conflict on the other side.

This division had already become apparent when Israel bowed down to America during the 1956 War. By establishing a relationship with America, Israel had married itself to the American empire, although America was never really loyal to Israel. However, once this relationship had been established and the soviets were attaching themselves to the arabs, the arab-Israeli conflict became a soviet-American conflict on a different dimension. This put Israel in a very limited position, since its arms were held back by the Americans. In fact, it's been this way ever since. Israel has been dictated by the American government, and the policies of Israel have been limited by American interests. It is because of this that Israel has been under siege yet it hasn't "been able" to respond effectively; since America has been using Israel to gain access to the arab countries, and hostility never leads to cooperation. If the arab-Israeli war is expanded, then America becomes the enemy of the arabs, and thus America loses its authority in the middle east. But America has many vested interests in the middle east, and so it's willing to do almost anything to keep control of the region, because that's were it gets most of its gas; and America runs on gasoline.

The War of Attrition
(1968-70)

As early as July 1, 1967, egypt began shelling Israeli positions near the Suez Canal. On October 21, 1967, egypt sank the Israeli destroyer Eilat, killing 47. Less than a year later, egyptian artillery began to shell Israeli positions along the Suez Canal.

Nasser believed that because most of Israel's army consisted of reserves, it could not withstand a lengthy war of attrition. He believed Israel would be unable to endure the economic burden, and the constant casualties would undermine Israeli morale.

The bloody War of Attrition lasted nearly two years. Israel lost 15 combat aircraft, most shot down by anti­aircraft guns and missiles. The Israeli death toll between June 15, 1967, and August 8, 1970, was 1,424 soldiers and more than 100 civilians. Another 2,000 soldiers and 700 civilians were wounded.

War of Attrition In-Depth

Nasser expands the war against Israel; a clear violation of the cease-fire (1969)

After a lull on the Suez Canal front, the egyptians opened a heavy artillery barrage along the entire length of the Canal on March 8, 1969, in a well-planned and premeditated offensive. The War of Attrition had entered a new phase. The egyptian army called the shelling of the Israeli positions "active preventive defence". Following is an excerpt from a statements by Nasser, which was broadcast by cairo radio:

Nasser addresses the arab socialist union congress (March 30, 1969):

"...The so-called middle east crisis, which is in fact our natural and rightful struggle, is now entering a very important and serious phase ... There was no danger in the situation that we faced immediately after the setback, simply because we had no material power to resist and deter the enemy. The enemy had all the means, and we lacked means to answer him. So there was no danger there. With the change in the picture and with the growth and escalation of our power, the enemy still possesses his means...Then the possibility of a clash was remote, but now the possibility of a clash exists, because our situation is different from what it was then...

"There was a time when we used to ask our soldiers at the front to account for their actions if they fired at the enemy on sight, for we were not prepared for complications. Now the picture has changed. We ask every soldier at the front to account for his action if he sees the enemy and does not fire at him."

soviet involvement in the War of Attrition (April 29, 1970)

In March 1970 the soviet union began to install in egypt SA-3 missile batteries manned by soviet personnel. In April it became known that soviet pilots were flying operational missions from air bases in egypt.
On April 29 the Israeli Government issued the following statement:

In the soviet involvement in the Middle East there has been a grave development. In recent days it has become clear to the Government of Israel beyond any doubt that for the first time soviet pilots are flying operational missions from military installations under their control in egypt. The operational activity of the soviet pilots has not extended so far to the cease-fire line, and they have not been involved in the air combats in this region.

In the month of March, the ussr began to install in egypt SA-3 missile batteries manned by soviet personnel. At that time the Government of Israel brought to the attention of international political factors the gravity of the political and military significance of this dangerous development. Now, there is the further step of soviet operational participation at the side of egypt in the military campaign which egypt is waging against Israel. This involvement has already enabled egypt to increase its aggressive acts against Israel.

The Government of Israel has brought to international attention the dangerous implications of this development. The escalation of soviet involvement in egypt must cause concern not only for Israel but for all freedom-loving peoples.

This latest development is a continuation of the policies of the soviet union and of its consistent identification with egyptian aggression before the Six-Day War and since, in the following:

• The delivery of vast quantities of soviet arms of the egyptian army in order to prepare it for renewed aggression.
• The encouragement of egypt to adhere to the "no's" of Khartoum.
• Support given to Nasser's attempt to undermine the cease-fire line.
• Identification with Nasser in his announced decision of May-June 1969 abrogating the cease-fire.
• Support for the implementation of Nasser's declared war of attrition against Israel.
• The encouragement of egypt to reject the appeals by Israel and other political factors to reinstate the cease-fire as fixed by the security council in June 1967, without limitations of time or any other conditions.
• A vicious anti-Israel propaganda campaign carried out in the soviet union in recent months.
• The installation of SA-3 missiles manned by soviet personnel and culminating with the activation of soviet pilots in egypt on operational missions.

Israel will continue to defend itself against all aggression which violates the ceasefire arrangements and which aims at renewal of war in the area. In all its struggles Israel drew strength from its unity and from the justice of its cause. Israel will continue in its firm stand and in its quest for true and lasting peace.