Anatomy of an airlift: United States military assistance to Israel during the 1973 war

Abstract

During the 1973 war the United States flew 12,000 tons of military equipment to Israel, transferring advanced weaponry that it had hitherto withheld. In fact, Nixon and Kissinger had planned to strictly regulate the supply of arms to Israel, intending both to control its strategy during the fighting and heighten its dependence following the war. Yet the exigency of matching the Soviet Union's massive resupply of Egypt and Syria forced the United States to launch an airlift that greatly accelerated the pace and degree of sophistication of military hardware to its client. This article demonstrates that the determination both to outpace the rival superpower and ensure Israel's post-war cooperation created a process of rearmament that for the United States was an unintended consequence.

Notes

  [1] National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD (hereafter cited as NA II), Record Group (RG) 59 Subject-Numeric File (SNF), 1970–73, DEF 12-5 ISR, Memcon, Dinitz/Kissinger, 8:20, 7 December 1973.

  [2] Hanhimäki, Flawed Architect, 307–17.

  [3] Suri, Henry Kissinger, 256–61.

  [4] Dallek, Nixon and Kissinger, 521–9.

  [5] Ben-Zvi, Johnson; Levey, ‘Skyhawk Sale’; Rodman, ‘Breakthrough’.

  [6] Arms Trade Registers, 53.

  [7] Arms Trade Registers, 43–5, 63–5.

  [8] Quandt, Decade, 146–7.

  [9] Arms Trade Registers, 55.

 [10] NA II, Nixon Presidential Materials Project (NPMP), National Security Council Files (NSCF), Middle East (ME), Box 610, Richardson to Kissinger, 27 February 1973.

 [11] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, ME, Box 610, Saunders, Quandt to Kissinger, 28 February 1973.

 [12] NA II, RG 59, 1970–73, SNF, Box 1749, DEF 15-5 ISR, Embassy in Tel Aviv to Secretary of State, 11 May 1973.

 [13] NA II, RG 59, 1970–73, SNF, S-5207/ DI-5A, ‘Estimated Inventory’, 5 October 1973.

 [14] NA II, NPMP, NSC Institutional Files, Box H-94, WSAG Meeting, 6 October 1973.

 [15] Kissinger, Years of Upheaval, 478.

 [16] ‘The October War’, The National Security Archive, George Washington University, http://www.gwu.edu/∼nsarchiv, 16.

 [17] NA II, RG 59, Box 328, Records of the Policy Planning Staff, 1969–77, Memcon, Kissinger/Huang Zhen, 6 October 1973.

 [18] Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 189.

 [19] Arms Trade Registers, 54.

 [20] NA II, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, 25, Cat. C 1974, Memcon, Dinitz/Kissinger, 7 October 1973.

 [21] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 1173, ‘Arab–Israeli Situation Report’, 8 October 1973.

 [22] NA II, NPMP, HAK (Henry A. Kissinger) Telcons, Box 22, Chronological File, Kissinger/Haig, 9:35, Kissinger/Schlesinger, 13:30, 7 October 1973.

 [23] NA II, RG 59, Records of the Policy Planning Staff, Director's Files, 1969–77, Box 328, Memcon, Kissinger/Huang Zhen, 6 October 1973; Kissinger, Crisis, 66–71.

 [24] Kissinger, Crisis, 89; NA II, NPMP, HAK Tel Cons, Box 22, Nixon/Kissinger, 19:08, 8 October 1973.

 [25] NPMP, NAII, NSCF, WSAG ME, Box H-093, Memorandum for the Secretary, 8 October 1973.

 [26] NA II, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, Box 25, CA Arab–Israeli War, Memcon, Dinitz/Kissinger, 8:20, 9 October 1973. Dinitz's figures were exaggerated.

 [27] NA II, NPMP, NSC, Country Files, Box 664, Quandt to Kissinger, 9 October 1973.

 [28] NA II, RG 59, SNF 1970–73, POL-ISR-US, Memcon, Dinitz/Kissinger, 18:10, 9 October 1973.

 [29] NA II NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 22, Scowcroft/Kissinger, 19:55, 11 October 1973.

 [30] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 22, Schlesinger/Kissinger, 19:15, 10 October 1973.

 [31] Israel State Archive (ISA), File 7792/3A, Report of the Embassy in Washington, 12 October 1973.

 [32] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Nixon/Kissinger, 8:38, 12 October 1973.

 [33] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Nixon/Kissinger, 8:38, 12 October 1973

 [34] Schlesinger/Kissinger, no time indicated, 13 October 1973, HAK Telcons, Box 23, NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Dinitz/Kissinger, 12:32, 13 October 1973; Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 192.

 [35] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Schlesinger/Kissinger, 12:49 13 October 1973.

 [36] NA II NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Haig/Kissinger, 9:35, 13 October 1973.

 [37] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Humphrey/Kissinger, 14:30, 12 October 1973.

 [38] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Schlesinger/Kissinger, 12:49, 13 October 1973.

 [39] Israelyan, Inside the Kremlin, 57–8; NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 16:25, 13 October 1973.

 [40] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 1174, 1973 Middle East War, File 5, Department of State Operations Center, Middle East Task Force, Situation Reports 18 and 22, 10 and 12 October 1973.

 [41] ISA, File 7792/3A, Telcon, Dinitz/Meir, 12 October 1973.

 [42] Nixon, Memoirs, 926–8. Emphasis original.

 [43] Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 193; NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Scowcroft/Kissinger, 14:25, 13 October 1973.

 [44] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Scowcroft/Kissinger, 14:25, 13 October 1973.

 [45] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Nixon/Kissinger, 9:04, 14 October 1973.

 [46] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 16:25, 13 October 1973.

 [47] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 12:36, 14 October 1973.

 [48] Kissinger, Crisis, 261–2.

 [49] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Nixon/Kissinger, 11:10, 14 October 1973.

 [50] Quandt, Decade, 185.

 [51] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Schlesinger/Kissinger, apparently 14 October 1973.

 [52] NA II, NPMP, NSC, WSAG ME, Box H-093, Pickering to Kissinger, 14 October 1973.

 [53] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Schlesinger/Kissinger, undated but apparently 14 October 1973.

 [54] NA II, NPMP, NSC, WSAG ME, Box H-093, Pickering to Kissinger, 14 October 1973; Arms Trade Registers, 52–5.

 [55] NA II, RG 59, SNF 1970–73, Box 1749, DEF 12-5 ISR, Weiss to Kissinger, 14, 15 October 1973.

 [56] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 664, Memcon, Nixon and Arab foreign ministers, 17 October 1973.

 [57] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 1175, File no. 13, Embassy in Kuwait to Department of State, 18 October 1973.

 [58] NA II, NPMP, NSC Files, Box 1174, Department of State Operations Center, Situation Report no. 36, 16 October 1973.

 [59] Kissinger, Crisis, 261–2, 273–6.

 [60] NA II, NPMP, NSC Institutional Files, Box H-092, WSAG Meeting, 17 October 1973.

 [61] Kissinger, Crisis, 273–276.

 [62] NA II, NPMP, NSC Institutional Files, Box H-117, WSAG meeting, 17 October 1973.

 [63] NA II, NPMP, NSC Institutional Files, Box H-117, WSAG meeting, 17 October 1973

 [64] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Dinitz/Kissinger, 12:32, 13 October 1973. The rest of the conversation has been censored.

 [65] NA II, NPMP, NSC Country Files, Box 610, Stukel to Kissinger, 17 October 1973.

 [66] Nixon, Memoirs, 931.

 [67] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Scowcroft/Kissinger, 22:45, 18 October 1973.

 [68] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 1173, 1973 Middle East War, File 14, Department of State Operations Center, Situation Report 43, 19 October 1973.

 [69] Israelyan, Inside the Kremlin, 103–6.

 [70] Syria hoped to retake the Golan Heights and placed upon the Soviet Union no pressure for a ceasefire. Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 209–10.

 [71] Kissinger, Crisis, 303.

 [72] ‘The October War’, The National Security Archive, George Washington University, http://www.gwu.edu/∼nsarchiv, 35.

 [73] NA II, NPMP, HAK Office Files (HAKOF), Box 39, Kissinger to Scowcroft, 20 October 1973.

 [74] NA II, NPMP, HAKOF, Box 39, Memcon, Brezhnev/Kissinger, 21 October 1973; Embassy in Soviet Union to Department of State, Cable 13148, 21 October 1973.

 [75] ISA, File 8163/9, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, 20 October 1973.

 [76] Hanhimäki, Flawed Architect, 313.

 [77] NA II, RG59, SNF 1970–73, POL-7 US/Kissinger, Memcon, Meir/Kissinger, 22 October 1973.

 [78] Quandt, Decade, 193.

 [79] Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 218; Quandt, Decade, 193.

 [80] NA II, RG 59, SNF 1970–73, POL-7 US/Kissinger, Memcon of Luncheon for Kissinger's Party, 22 October 1973.

 [81] In Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 218.

 [82] NA II, RG 59, SNF 1970–73, POL-7 US/Kissinger, Memcon, ‘Military Briefing’, 22 October 1973.

 [83] NA II, RG59, SNF 1970–73, POL-7 US/Kissinger, Memcon, Meir/Kissinger, 22 October 1973.

 [84] ISA, File 8163/9, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, 22 October 1973.

 [85] NA II, NPMP, NSC Files, Box 1175, File no. 18, Embassy in Tel Aviv to Washington, 23 October 1973.

 [86] NA II, NPMP, HAKOF, Box 69, Nixon to Brezhnev, Hotline Message, 23 October 1973.

 [87] NA II, NPMP, HAKOF, Box 69, Brezhnev to Nixon, Hotline, 24 October 1973.

 [88] Hanhimäki, Flawed Architect, 316; Lebow and Stein, We All Lost, 246–50.

 [89] Kissinger, Crisis, 179.

 [90] NA II, NPMP, HAKOF, Box 69, Nixon to Brezhnev, Hotline Message, 25 October 1973; Dobrynin, In Confidence, 297.

 [91] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Haig/Kissinger, 12:28, 27 October 1973. Kissinger refers to this briefly in Years of Upheaval, 602.

 [92] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Schlesinger/Kissinger, 13:00 27 October 1973.

 [93] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Scowcroft/Kissinger, 15:20, 27 October 1973. Not included in Crisis.

 [94] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Haig/Kissinger, 15:30, 27 October 1973. Does not appear in Crisis.

 [95] NA II, NPMP, HAK Telcons, Box 23, Schlesinger/Kissinger, 27 October 1973. Does not appear in Crisis.

 [96] NA II, NPMP, NSC Files, Box 1176, National Military Command Center, Memorandum for White House Situation Room, 27 October 1973.

 [97] NA II, NPMP, NSC, Country Files, Box 610, Embassy in Tel Aviv to Secretary of State, 31 October 1973.

 [98] NA II Memcons, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, Meir/Kissinger; Meir/Nixon/Kissinger, 1 November 1973.

 [99] NA II, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, Memcon, Meir/Nixon/Kissinger, 1 November 1973.

[100] NA II, NPMP, HAKOF, Box 132, Scowcroft to Nixon, ‘Meeting with Sadat’, 7 November 1973.

[101] NA II, NPMP, NSC, Country Files, Box 611, Scowcroft to Kissinger, 7 December 1973.

[102] NA II, NPMP, RG 59, SNF, 1970–73, DEF 12-5 ISR Memcon, Dayan/Kissinger, 7 December 1973; NSC, Country Files, Box 611, Saunders to Scowcroft, 7 December 1973.

[103] NA II, NPMP, NSC, Country Files, Box 611, Scowcroft to Kissinger, 7 December 1973.

[104] ISA, File 8163/8, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, 9 October 1973.

[105] ISA, File 8163/10, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, 22 October 1973.

[106] Schulzinger, Henry Kissinger, 158.

[107] NA II, RG 59, SNF, 1970–73, DEF 12-5 ISR, Memcon, Dayan/Kissinger, 7 December 1973.

[108] NA II, RG 59, SNF, 1970–73, DEF 12-5 ISR, Memcon, Dayan/Kissinger, 7 December 1973

[109] NA II, NPMP, NSC, Country Files, Box 611, Kissinger's memorandum, ‘Financing Arms to Israel’, 23 February 1973.

[110] SIPRI Yearbook [s], 1975; 1976; 1977.

[111] Spiegel, The Other Arab–Israeli Conflict, 294; SIPRI Yearbook, 1977, 321–2.

[112] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 1176, Department of State Operations Center, Situation Report 68, 27 October 1973.

[113] NA II, NPMP, NSCF, Box 1176, ‘Secretary's Meeting on Middle East with NATO Ambassadors’, 3 November 1973.

[114] Sadat, In Search of Identity, 260–61.

[115] Hanhimäki, Flawed Architect, 320.

[116] Garthoff, Détente and Confrontation, 327.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zach Levey

Zach Levey is Senior Lecturer, School of Political Sciences, University of Haifa. He is the author of Israel and the Western Powers: 1952–1960 (UNC Press, 1997), and articles on US, Israeli, and British foreign relations. Professor Levey is currently completing a book titled Israel in Africa, 1956–1974, to be published at Leiden: Brill, Martinus Nijhoff.