This book is a history of the relationship between Israel and the United States. Like so many relationships, the partners look back and rewrite their history as the years recede. And the more they love each other, they more they tend to rewrite history into rose-tinted myth.
I knew very well how badly America (and most of the world) acted toward Jews during the Nazi era and the Holocaust. So when I read about America's support for Israel from the first moment after Israel declared itself independent, I was ready to fill in continuous support from 1948 to now.
I was wrong.
Walter Russell Mead showed me the actual, bumpy complex history of America's support (and not) for Israel.
Yes. President Harry Truman recognized Israel from the moment of its founding, but he did it on condition that he get to recognize Israel before anyone else: 11 minutes after the announcement.
To his credit, Truman believed the Jews had a right to a country of their own.
But.
Truman also set up an arms embargo on the new nation of Israel. If the arms embargo had succeeded the Holocaust would have been repeated as six Arab armies invaded Israel. Truman's state department was more concerned about their relationship with the Arab nations than the survival of Israel.
When America let Israel twist in the wind, a very ironic triangular relationship developed that saved Israel and led to Israel's victory over the invaders.
Along with the US, the Soviet Union recognized Israel. The relationship only lasted until 1953, but it was long enough to allow Israel to exist.
In 1948, the Soviet Union needed hard currency. In February the Soviet Union took over Czechoslovakia in a Coup. The small country was home to the Skoda works. Skoda made weapons for the Nazi army under Nazi occupation. They had a massive inventory of German weapons.
Also in 1948, Israel declared independence in May and future Israel Prime Minister Golda Meir began crisscrossing America raising money for the fledgling state of Israel. That money could have bought tons of surplus America weapons consigned to destruction, but the embargo prevented that purchase.
Instead, the money flowed back to Israel and from there to Skoda and to the Soviet Union. When Israeli representatives visited the Skoda factory, they were delighted to find tons of weapons at bargain prices. It was also made clear that the Soviet Union was ready to circumvent the American arms embargo--for cash.
American money paid for surplus German weapons which were then smuggled by Soviets around an American embargo. Those weapons allowed Israel to defeat six Arab armies and exist as a nation.
America continued to ignore Israel until 1967. After the huge victory in the Six Day War, Israel suddenly looked like a regional power and America became friendly. The new warmth was timely because the French, Israel's principle arms supplier in the 1950s and early 60s, were backing away from Israel because of internal politics.
With the Soviets openly arming the Arabs, America started selling arms to Israel. The relationship between the US and Israel became closer after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. But the first actual treaty between the two countries was made by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, almost 40 years after Israeli independence.
The book is full of insights about the relationship between the US and Israel which I did not get from the many histories of Israel I have read.
It's an interesting book for anyone who wants to know about the complex history of the US/Israel relationship.
