After the first brief spurt of the 1967 war, Israel desperately needed the US and UN to intervene. However brilliant she was in the first stages of the war, (and I remember my wife and I staying with some Jewish friends in tiny grad student housing and cheering Israel on), Israel didn't stand a chance in any protracted engagement - the Arabs could take 10, or 20 or 30 to one losses, and keep replacing people. The Israelis were in much the same shape as Robert E. Lee was in the US Civil War, fighting an opponent who had virtually unlimited manpower, whereas hers was limited.

In any long war the US couldn't have supplied her with enough munitions without going to war ourselves, and even then it would have been very difficult. And if the US became involved, which would have been absolutely necessary for Israel's survival, eventually so would the USSR. Not a pretty picture, as they both had nukes and could use them.

As a condition of the cease fire, she retreated to the lines, with some small adjustments, which existed prior to 1967, the lines which originally created the temporal state of Israel.

Vastly overextended, she didn't "own" the Sinai, she didn't "own" the West Bank. The cease fire was in Israel's interest, she accepted it (though wish she'd had a bit longer), and the pre-'67 borders were restored.

Arf