Once Israel had won its War of Independence, the world sympathy that had granted the Jews a national homeland proved to be short-lived. General Nasser of Egypt, with a vision of a Pan-Arab empire with himself at the helm, launched a campaign of terrorism and shelling on Israel. By 1956, Israel took a pre-emptive strike against Nasser and invaded the Sinai Desert, reaching the Suez Canal within four days. Under world pressure, Israel was forced to withdraw and gained no protection for itself anyway. Especially in light of current events, Ben Gurion's criticism that this was a "wasted war" becomes abundantly clear.