Why did Israel threaten to use nukes in 1973 against Egypt?

Question

Was it because they are terrorists?
The US had to step in and buy them off to keep them from using nukes on Cairo.

Kevin you didn't gain all those points by being smart. I can see that. It is well documented that Israel used the threat of nukes against Egypt if the US did not intervene with new tanks and planes. Best read some more history, kiddo

Answer 1

Well, that is just not true. They did not threaten nuclear war. They didn't need to. They knew America had their back. If they were in danger of being overrun, they knew the US would step in and prevent it.

If you note, after early setbacks, the Israelis trapped the Egyptian third army. Egypt needed a cease fire brokered by the US and the USSR to get their troops out before they surrendered or wiped-out.

So Israel didn't need to use a nuclear threat. They were winning. True, they seemed to be in trouble early, but they recovered. The war started with a sneak attack by the Egyptians.

Basically, you have a false premise.

Peace.


Kiddo? Nice. A bit condescending. I didn't notice that attitude in my answer. I almost thought we might have an intellectual discussion here, but your attitude repulses me. So toodles. I'll try and make sure I don't answer any more of your questions.

Tell you what, put them where they belong, in the fiction section. I never go there.

Answer 2

Hey je g,

I noticed your flippant reply to the first answer. Then I read the next two answers that you were curiously quiet on. Are you having a hard time coming up with proof to your fiction?

I am thinking cowardice, but not on the part of anyone who answered the question. I too looked in the library and on line that Israel threatened nukes. All I could see was they promised they would do all in their power to not be wiped out in a SNEAK attack.

It is curious that in your question you don't deal with the sneak attack aspect of this war. Why is that? Is it due to some agenda you have? So let me ask, why did Egypt et al attack without warning or provocation? You conveniently omit that part. And don't try to manufacture provocation. The fact of Israel's existence is not really provocation enough. So what are you going to bring up, the 1967 war?

Again, cowardice comes to mind. So far, you haven't found any answerers to come to your aid. Maybe it is because this is the history section, not the fiction section.

Answer 3

What do you mean well documented? By which writers? Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy?

Yes the US bought off Israel. That is well documented. But not to stop them from using nukes. Israel did say they would use whatever means they had to DEFEND THEIR EXISTENCE AFTER A SNEAK ATTACK! But, they did not mention nukes.

The US bought them off, not to stop nukes, but to stop them from destroying the Egyptian 3rd Army. Remember, it was surrounded. When you have the enemy, who did a sneak attack, surrounded, you don't need to threaten nukes. You are winning.

The US stopped Israel from forcing the surrender of the Egyptian 3rd Army. Why? Because the Soviets saw their Arab allies getting their tails kicked and told the US to stop that or the Soviets would join the fight. The Soviets knew the US didn't want a military showdown with them, so they convinced the Israelis to let the Egyptians go. You know, the opposite of Moses and Pharoah.

Kevin C is right. Your question is fiction. You say it is well documented. Where? Cairo? Moscow? Damascus? All reputable sources I am sure.



3 days and 5 answers and all disagree with you. Wow! Did you really change some minds with this one, eh?

Answer 4

Fascinating. I just spent quite some time on the Internet looking at supposed proof that Israel threatened nukes. There was not a scholarly effort in any of the sites. They were politically motivated. And NOT ONE of them quoted anyone saying any Israeli representative used the word nuclear in any statement.

Each one of the quotes was followed by something like "which is a code word for nuclear". For instance, Ariel Sharon once said, "Arabs may have the oil, but we have the matches."

This means nuclear, according to the website. Though when Hussein was booted out of Kuwait and lit all the oil wells, he did it without nukes. How are matches nuclear?

No, you have no proof. Only conjecture. And if you are trying to survive a sneak attack and you say you will fight with all means your right to live, what others view of your statement is not your fault.

Israel has the right to safe borders. They are protecting that right. Good for them, I say.

Answer 5

Israel has not even admitted that it has nuclear weapons.

How on earth could it threaten to use them?

Can you site one reputable site? Such as a major newspaper quoting an Israeli official from that period?

Unless you can your charge amounts to nothing more than slander.