THE INTERVENTION OF WORLD POWERS IN ISRAEL'S WARS - I


1. THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1948

The U.S. did not send any military aid to Israel, both before, during, and after the War of Independence. Not only that, but they took an active part in preventing Israel’s attempts to smuggle weapons into Israel, mostly when Americans were involved. The biggest example was Adolph Schwimmer, whose story was told in previous blogs.

Since then, until today, the U.S. State Department has been hostile towards Israel’s interests. Even Ronald Reagan, who was perhaps the most friendly President, did not question the State Department when it came to Israel’s most sensitive issues. The only exception was during the time when Mike Pompeo, was President Trump’s Secretary of State.

Not only did Israel have to contend with five Arab States, but the U.K. decided to give the Egyptians a hand when they saw that Israel’s air-force was proving their superiority. After sending armed scouting flights over the battle area, they blatantly attacked four of Israeli’s fighters with nineteen modern warplanes in the last, critical air battle of the war.

2. THE SINAI WAR 1956

There were two reasons that Israel consented to  join a military campaign together with the U.K. and France. One was to put an end to the infiltration of terrorists from the Egyptian border and Gaza Strip. who were murdering Israeli citizens living in  the border settlements - and even penetrating to the centre of the country. Between 1948 and 1956, 1,300 Israeli citizens were killed or wounded, and more than 6,000 terrorist activities were recorded. Then, in September 1955, in violation of international agreements, Egypt threaten to close the Straits of Tiran, which would effectively stop Israel’s sea trade.

While the U.K. and France launched an air operation, bombing Egyptian airfields near Suez, the IDF’s armoured corps swept across the desert, capturing virtually the entire Sinai.

Israel’s failure to inform the U.S,. of its intentions, combined with ignoring appeals not to go to war, upset President Eisenhower who joined the Soviet Union  to force Israel to withdra

President David Ben-Gurion agreed in principle to withdraw from the peninsula, but demanded assurances that the Straits of Tiran wouldn't be blockaded again, and that the UN Emergency Force  in Sinai wouldn't be withdrawn, just due to the sole demand of the Egyptians.

President Dwight Eisenhower conceded that "no nation has the right forcibly to prevent free and innocent passage in the Gulf and through the Straits giving access thereto," and that "the United States, on behalf of vessels of United States registry, is prepared to exercise the right of free and innocent passage and to join with others to secure general recognition of this right," explicitly stating that blocking the straits is unacceptable.

U.S pressure resulted in an Israeli withdrawal from the conquered areas without obtaining any concessions from the Egyptians, sowing the seeds of the 1967 war. 

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