▁In ▁the ▁event , ▁Israel ▁decis ively ▁defeated ▁its ▁neighborhood ▁enemies ▁and ▁pre va iled ▁in ▁the ▁determin ative ▁Six ▁Day ▁war ▁of ▁June ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁Four ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁sudden ▁launch ▁of ▁that ▁war , ▁" a ▁senior ▁Isra eli ▁official " ▁had ▁priv ately ▁visited ▁Hel ms ▁in ▁his ▁office ▁and ▁hint ed ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁pre empt ive ▁decision ▁was ▁im min ent . ▁Hel ms ▁then ▁had ▁passed ▁the ▁information ▁to ▁President ▁Johnson . ▁The ▁conflict ▁re ified ▁America ' s ▁" em ot ional ▁sympathy " ▁for ▁Israel . ▁Following ▁the ▁war , ▁America ▁dropped ▁its ▁careful ▁bal ancing ▁act ▁between ▁the ▁bell iger ents ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁Israel , ▁eventually ▁supp lant ing ▁France ▁as ▁Israel ' s ▁chief ▁military ▁supp lier . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁American ▁S IG INT ▁sp y ▁ship ▁USS ▁Liber ty , ▁out f itted ▁by ▁the ▁NS A , ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁Isra eli ▁war plan es ▁and ▁tor ped o ▁boats ▁in ▁international ▁waters ▁north ▁of ▁S ina i . ▁This ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁ship ▁was ▁sever ely ▁dam aged ▁with ▁loss ▁of ▁life . ▁The ▁Israel is ▁quickly ▁not ified ▁the ▁Americans ▁and ▁later ▁explained ▁that ▁they ▁" had ▁mistaken ▁the ▁Liber ty ▁( 4 5 5 ▁feet ▁long ) ▁for ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁coast al ▁ste amer ▁El ▁Qu se ir ▁( 2 7 5 ▁feet ▁long