REDEFININGPOLICY:
Egypt
THE CASE OF ISRAEL
TIMELINE
o Thirteenth Century: Byzantine Empire lost
control of the areas bordering the Black
sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
o 1453: Turks had conquered Constantinople
and had been under their command are
the North Africa, Greece and the Balkans
as well as the area along the eastern shore
of Mediterranean.
o World War 1: Ottomans, allied with
Germany lost the war.
- The spoil went to the victors
(Ottoman province known as
Syria)
Sykes- Picot Agreement
o Mr. Sykes & Monsieur Picot
o A secret wartime deal between the British
and the French.
- French Control- North
- British Control- South
Who owned Palestine?
a. Syria
- Regarded Palestine as integral part of
Syria.
- The opposed an independent
Palestine, just as they opposed the existence
of an independent Jewish state.
- Sykes- Picot agreement was a
violation of Syria’s long-standing territorial
integrity.
B. Jordan
- They view Palestine as legally their
own.
-From the time Jews became more
numerous and powerful in Palestine, the ruler
of Jordan saw these new immigrants from
Eastern Europe as allies against the native
Palestine
C.
1956- Military coup that brought Gamal
Abdel Nasser to power.
- Opposed the existence of Israel
- Nasser’s dream was the
creation of a single Arab nation, a United Arab
Republic.
o All the Arab States within the region,
except, Jordan wanted the destruction of
Israel but did not support an independent
Palestine.
o Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine
- Advocate that Israel should be
destroyed and that the Palestinians
should be incorporated in Syria.
o Palestine Liberation Organization
- Established by Egypt as a sole
advocate for Palestine state.
THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL
1948- The United States recognized the Israeli
Independence.
*The containment of the Soviet Union by
blocking the Bosporus, a narrow strait in
Turkey, from the Soviet fleet in the Black Sea
from entering the Mediterranean sea.
Israel’s Patrons
o 1. Soviet Union- which show Israel as an
anti- British power that might become an
ally.
o 2. France- Fight Algeria, the Arab
countries supported the Algerian rebels,
and thus it was in France’s interest to have
a strong Israel standing alongside France
in opposition.
o 3. U.S.- American public infatuation with
Israeli military successes in war.
- A. Strengthen support for the
Vietnam war
- B. Israeli victory had strengthened
an already powerful Soviet hand in
Egypt and Syria, making Israel a
useful ally.
o * U.S. –Israeli cooperation did not generate
anti- Americanism in the Arab world but
resulted from it.
 CONTEMPORARY ISRAEL
o Strategically secure. It has become the
dominant power among the Border States.

o Israel and Egypt

- Egypt’s military is a threat to Israel.
- Egypt cannot defeat Israel
-Geographical as well as
technological.
-Need the supports of hundreds
of thousands of troops
- The Israelis cannot defeat Egypt
- They cannot stand a prolonged
war of attrition. To win they would have
to win swiftly
-Israel has a small standing army
which is unsustainable over an
extended period.

o Israel and Jordan

-Jordanian- Palestinian hostility
-Israelis serve essential Jordan national
security interests by suppressing the
Palestinians.

o Israel and Syria

- Syria poses threat to Israel
- Its forces are smaller than Israel.
- The areas in which it could attack are
too narrow to exploit effectively.
-Israel help Syria in restraining the
Hezbollah.

o Israel and Palestine

- Israel’s problems have been lessened
by the split among the Palestinians.
Fatah- controls the West Bank
Hamas- Controls Gaza

o Israel and U.S.

- Although U.S. and Israel can work
independently, disengagement from Israel can
create imbalance of power in the Region.
1. It open opportunities for Syria and
Egypt to exploit Israel.
2. Present domestic problems within the
U.S.
-Jewish political influence is
outsized because of carefully organized and
funded lobbying effort.