All smiles: Margaret Thatcher shakes hands with then-Isreali Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1979. But the Jewish leader's hatred of the British spurred him to send weapons to Argentina's military junta during the Falklands War
Posted on 04/20/2011 8:08:52 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
'A deep-rooted hatred of the British': How Israelis 'armed junta' in Falklands conflict
Israel secretly provided arms and supplies to Argentina during the Falklands conflict, according to revelations in a new book.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin had such a deep-rooted hatred of the British that the Jewish state covertly became the biggest supplier of military equipment to the Argentine military junta.
Gas masks, radar alert systems, air-to-air missiles and fuel tanks for fighter bombers were sent from Tel Aviv to arm General Galtieri’s forces. The most audacious deal involved supplying 23 French-built fighter aircraft – Mirage IIICs – which were camouflaged with the insignia of Peru. But they arrived after the war was over.
Britain, under Margaret Thatcher, retook the Falkland Islands in June 1982, two and a half months after Argentina invaded. Some 255 British servicemen, more than 650 Argentines and three islanders were killed.
Although it was well known at the time that France was supplying missiles to Argentina – most infamously the Exocet missiles used to sink HMS Sheffield with the loss of 20 crew – Israel’s involvement went unnoticed.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
All smiles: Margaret Thatcher shakes hands with then-Isreali Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1979. But the Jewish leader's hatred of the British spurred him to send weapons to Argentina's military junta during the Falklands War
ML/NJ
Disinformation, not just horse manure.
In 1982, Israel was neck-deep in a crisis in Lebanon. The idea that they would divert weapons to Argentina on someone’s personal whim is bull****. Argentina had switched dictators in 1981. And it was no secret that Israel sold arms in S. America, as did the USA and France.
Horse patootie..
I call BS. Argentina gave asylum to tons of Nazi war criminals. Israel would be the last country that would want to help them out.
The way the article felt like it was sure the book and idea were true without any real proof, a few “he said’s” is scary. Did they do any fact checking? Would they have shared that in the article if they did? I would think with the obvious consequences this claim will have they would. I would. I googled the author, unless some one can translate spanish who knows what kind of guy he is.
While the book is likely to have plenty of crap, it is a fact that Israel sold arms to Argentina.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAI_Nesher
It's just irrationally stupid, except to someone who hates Jews.
yitbos
Weapons both functional and defective are traded all the time, and clandestine "adjustments" are often made according to the fluidity of the situation, and generally follow the national interests of the nations involved.
35 year old personal grudges, if existent, simply do not play into national interests. If so, somebody in Washington must really hate the Brits for hanging Patriots, because we sold the Argentines complete submarines armed with really neat stuff, and on credit, no less.
Additionally, (be prepared to laugh) the Brits must have been feeling guilty about Israel, because they sabotaged Saddam Hussein's Babylon gun by not delivering the breech section (and two others), after building them and getting paid for it.
The real reason to doubt this story....is that Israel would never send weapons to the country that was hiding Nazis after WW II....no way Israel helps Argentina
While true that Menachem Begin did not like the British....there was a famous hotel bombing in the 1940’s that basically forced the British out of Israel...many believed Begin was involved....many Israelis at the time did not like the British because they were too coddling to the Arabs.
That’s not borne out by facts. Israel has had defense ties with Argentina and there’s nothing particularly wrong with that since the US, France and even Britain had strategic ties with that regime.
How else would you explain the presence of Israeli made warplanes and missiles during the Falklands war.
/bingo
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Wow, Israel sold arms to another sovereign nation. That's almost unheard of in this day and age, no one sells arms. What's next, Israel allied with a certain European island nation to recover their lost canal. Eight years after a certain island nation in Europe supplied arms and personel to the Arabs trying to destroy Israel. While boycotting arms purchases by Israel. There's a deep rooted hatred at work here, and it's not Israel hating the Brits. Next, how Israel traded arms to the IRA in exchange for English children. The Brits invented that charge.
Israeli made warplanes???
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