As of this writing, the war in Iraq is dominating the news. It’s one of the most critical world events at this time. It’s certainly something of grave concern to me as a citizen of the planet. For that reason, I want to know as much as I can about the region and the existing hostilities and friendships there. This documentary recounts one event in time that was instrumental in forming the relationships of the peoples in the area – the 1967 six days war between Israel and Egypt/Jordan/Syria.

At the outset, the documentary begins with little steam. The soft non-expressive narration almost put me to sleep, but slowly, the tension mounts until it grips. Eye witnesses from Arab and Israeli armies and neutral parties are interviewed. Actual footage dominates the production. Strategic moves are staged by all sides. Can war be avoided? It seems the leaders would prefer to avoid war – but why then the army build up?

Six Days reveals the soul-trying decisions, and serious mistakes made by all the players. With respect to inside chamber deliberations this documentary reminded me of the feature film Thirteen Days about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Fortunately, that crisis was resolved by more peaceful measures. But in both cases, despite the ultimate outcomes, at least it’s reassuring to see key political figures standing up for peace in the face of overwhelming pressures to yield to the temptations of violence.

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