The Arab defeat in the Six - Day War .
Assad was convinced that the Israelis had won the war by subterfuge ; after gaining power , his top foreign - policy priority was to regain the Arab territory lost in the war .
Since the Arab defeat in the Six - Day War , Assad was convinced that the Israelis had won the war by subterfuge ; after gaining power , his top foreign - policy priority was to regain the Arab territory lost in the war .