Posted on 08/13/2014 7:05:16 AM PDT by SJackson
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Great Post. Nixon was smart and cunning. God Bless Israel now more than ever as Obama is simply evil.
In my opinion, saving Israel was President Nixon’s greatest accomplishment.
Well at least Nixon was good for someone besides China.
A few years ago, I was asked by our Rabbi’s wife, a flaming liberal, how I could have switched sides from being a leftist to a conservative Republican. There were a number of factors involved in my political evolution, not the least of which was growing up, but I decided to answer her in terms she might understand, so I answered “the Yom Kippur War.”
“What did that have to do with it?”
“I realized that if we had done what liberals and leftists wanted us to do and disarmed, we would not have been able to help Israel survive that war.”
She had no answer, and she walked away.
Interesting read.
I was one such person....
Regarding Israel, Nixon was "rough around the edges." But when push came to shove, he put American power behind her. When one looks at those 175MikeMikes moving through the Sinai Desert bearing the Star of David, the issue is not in doubt.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/08/half-the-country-doesnt-think-watergate-was-a-real-scandal-why/
Subsequently, so-called "journalists" ignored worse crimes committed by subsequent Presidents, whom they favored.
Anyone remember what happened to the sailors on the USS Liberty? Thirty-four dead American sailors....direct attack by the government of Israel.
The United States did much more than airlift supplies during the Yom Kippur war. President Nixon laid everything on the line at that time to support Israel.
I agree.
The airlift kept Israel from being forced to use nuclear weapons in 1973.
No telling what might have happened if Israel had stopped the enemy with battlefield nuclear weapons. Golda was crying with joy that she would not have to authorize their use. She would have let loose with them if needed...”Never Again” is not just a cliche, it’s an action plan.
Yes, Israel had a limited number of low-yield nuclear weapons in 1973.
Nixon: “You send everything that flies, dammit!!”
A great moment.
Great and important article.
I remember that, I was a young Marine PFC on a Navy troop carrier when that took place. The rumors of Russian subs in the area scarred the crap out of me. I spent as much time as possible top side, just looking out.
We got almost no news from anyone. What a time.
This is very true. I was only 12 at the time, but I lived 20 miles from McGuire AFB, and the ground started shaking and the windows rattling from all of the C-5As and C-141s taking off for Israel. I remember VERY well the worldwide alert of all US forces when Brezhnev "offered" to send several Soviet airborne divisions as "peacemakers" to stand between Israel and Syria. Nixon did, indeed, stand for Israel as well as this country's interests, and as someone who cares deeply about Israel I will never forget that - regardless of Nixon's personal feelings and foibles.
What disturbs me is why so many of my co-religionists cannot accept the fact that it was a Republican President that actually did more for Israel by way of actions than all Democrat Presidents did, combined, through their bloated rhetoric. These people have swallowed the liberal Kool-Aid, something that I find unacceptable from people that are supposed to be intelligent.
I don't remember the particular book, but I do remember reading that the Israelis communicated to Nixon that they were going down the tubes because of the quantities of first-class Soviet equipment that the Egyptians and Syrians had, and that if things didn't change in a day or two that they were going to nuke the Arabs - EVERYWHERE. Including the Aswan Dam and the Saudi oil fields. Now, this was a book and not tablets handed down from God, but I remember that the author was someone with some high degree of credibility. I don't know that the Israelis would have gone that far, but if you're looking at a second genocide within a generation it isn't too far-fetched to say "screw everyone else if they're doing this or letting it be done to us."
That’s probably true. Golda Meir is said to have communicated to Nixon over the phone that Israel wouldn’t be going quietly, even if it meant problems for the US. However I doubt that was the basis of Nixon’s decision. I think he viewed it as a proxy cold war battle, which he didn’t want to lose. And in his memoirs he’s indicated the greatest mistake of the Eisenhower administration was pressuring Israel, England and France to return the Sinai and Suez canal in anticipation of Egyptian gratitude. Which was returned by an Egyptian move toward the Soviets.
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