How Israel Almost Used Nuclear Weapons
Judgment Day for Israel
The fourth Arab-Israeli war began on October 6, 1973, on one of the most revered Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur (Judgment Day). This is a day of fasting, repentance and remission of sins.
The Israeli military-political elite ignored intelligence warnings that the enemy was preparing an invasion (Yom Kippur War. How the Arabs Almost Defeated Israel). In addition, the blow turned out to be much more powerful than expected. The enemy was underestimated.
The heaviest blows hit Israel from two sides - on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. The Arabs learned lessons from previous defeats, adopted the experience of the Jews themselves, and learned a lot from Russian advisers. Egypt and Syria were armed to the teeth with the best equipment from the USSR, had real industrial-type armies with air force, air defense, artillery and mass tanks.
The Egyptian army literally swept away the rather weak Israeli curtain on the Suez Canal and broke into the Sinai. Massive artillery fire fell on the Israeli troops, and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles rushed forward. In the rear, Egyptian army special forces landed from Soviet-made Mi-8 helicopters, demoralizing the enemy and disrupting their supplies.
Israel has lost the air supremacy it had in previous wars. The Egyptian advance was covered by powerful air defense. For the first time, mobile Soviet air defense systems of the “Cube” type, “Shilka” installations, and hand-held air defense systems “Strela-2” entered the battle. Israel did not have time to preemptively bomb enemy airfields. Now the Israeli Air Force was forced not to bomb airfields in Syria and Egypt and enemy bases, but to save its ground forces. Attempts at old-style strikes behind enemy lines resulted in heavy losses among Jewish Phantoms.
Stubborn fighting ensued. Corps and volunteer detachments from Jordan, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and other Arab and Muslim countries came out on the side of Egypt and Syria. The situation was critical. On each of the fronts, Israel's enemies had a noticeable advantage in the number of fighters, artillery barrels and armored vehicles.
On the brink of disaster
After the end of this war, news appeared that Tel Aviv was ready to use nuclear weapon.
Israel does not officially confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons, but, according to experts, it has possessed them since the late 1960s and early 1970s. The atomic program developed with the support of France. Israel has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. At the time of the Yom Kippur War, the Jewish state had between 10 and 20 nuclear weapons.
At the most critical moment of the war, a meeting of the war cabinet took place, in which Defense Minister Moshe Dayan urged everyone, including Prime Minister Golda Meir, to prepare a nuclear arsenal for their eventual use.
40 years after the war, an interview with Arnan Azaryahu, assistant minister without portfolio in Israel Galili’s wartime security cabinet, appeared on the website of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (recognized by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation as an undesirable organization). It was conducted five years earlier by nuclear energy historian Avner Cohen. Azaryahu (known as Sini) spoke about a meeting of Israeli leaders that took place on the second day of the war, when the situation in the Golan Heights was extremely tense. The Syrians pressed the Israelis.
According to him, that day Golda Meir called Galili for a conversation. Moshe Dayan and other leaders of the country also attended the meeting. At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Defense said:
“...since the situation [in the Golan] is deteriorating, [as] we just heard from Dado (Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Army David Elazar - Author's note) ... since we do not have much time and not many alternatives to carry out the necessary technical training ], we should also prepare an option for demonstrating nuclear power.”
According to the procedures in force at that time for the management and control of nuclear weapons, both the head of government and the minister of defense had to jointly make decisions related to preparations for their use. That is, to begin preparations, two corresponding orders were needed - from Dayan and from Meir. The Minister of Defense was in favor of the use of nuclear weapons. Dayan has already invited the director of the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission, physicist Shalhevet Freyer, to discuss this issue.
It has never been officially reported whether Israel was really on the verge of using nuclear weapons in October 1973. Likewise, Tel Aviv has never reported having a nuclear arsenal.
Sadat leaked the campaign
Israel was able to turn the situation at the front in its favor.
This was due, on the one hand, to the position of the USA and the USSR, which put pressure on the Arab countries and demanded peace.
On the other hand, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, interested in supporting the United States and the West in general, leaked the campaign. At the most decisive moment, he gave the strategic initiative to the enemy. The Israelis were able to regroup their forces and organized a successful counter-offensive, pushing back the Egyptians. Cairo entered into negotiations and betrayed Damascus, which remained isolated. Cairo also finally broke with Moscow and signed a peace treaty with Israel at Camp David in 1977.
On October 25, 1973, Israeli troops stopped the offensive and the war was over. Nevertheless, Egypt and Syria were not defeated.
As a result, having used all possible levers and instruments, military and political, without losing heart at the most terrible hour, mobilizing their will and mind, the Jews won. They used everything that could bring victory. The powerful Jewish community in the United States. Risky operations, bold strategy at the front. Corruption of the top Egyptian leadership. Moscow's policy, which demanded peace.
Expectations of a nuclear apocalypse
Israel's current conflict with Hamas ("Yom Kippur War 2") raised expectations of a nuclear apocalypse. Analogies are drawn with the 1973 Judiciary War. They say that the Arab-Muslim world will start a war with Israel. Jews on the verge of military catastrophe use nuclear weapons. The Middle East will become a nuclear disaster zone.
However, this is sheer stupidity. In 1973, industrial-type armies of two Arab powers, Syria and Egypt, who claimed leadership in the Arab world, opposed Israel. The Israelis had a very hard time; they barely resisted the blow of their neighbors, armed to the teeth with the USSR.
The United States urgently created an air bridge to support Israel, put pressure on Cairo, and negotiated with Moscow. Tel Aviv put its nuclear forces on alert and could actually strike the advancing enemy. Israelis were much less politically correct and tolerant back then. Moscow demonstratively showed that it was ready to land airborne divisions in the region. As a result, Washington and Moscow agreed, the two superpowers kept the region from disaster.
There is nothing even close to this now. Hamas is an irregular gang. Israel will crush them. With serious army losses. By removing the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip, which is already happening. With high civilian casualties. For this purpose they staged an analogue of “September 11, 2001” (Israeli "September 11, 2001"), to gain complete freedom of action, and close the issue with Hamas and Gaza. Egypt has already agreed to the creation of refugee camps on its border.
Egypt will not fight for Hamas; for it, the “Muslim Brothers” are enemies. Although in words Cairo supports the Palestinians. Egypt also has a large dependence on the United States. Syria is devastated by a permanent civil war that is still going on. The country is dismembered and occupied by pro-American, pro-Turkish and pro-Iranian forces. Jordan will not fight for Hamas; they have already experienced their own turmoil because of Palestinian refugees. Hamas is banned in Jordan. The country's combat potential is very low. Lebanon is also extremely weak and has never risen from its turmoil.
Hezbollah in Lebanon is not an enemy for Israel. Stronger than Hamas, but they will be crushed. In addition, the United States has already provided insurance for the Israelis. They brought in a couple of strike aircraft carrier groups, and NATO countries will also send their ships. If necessary, the Americans will bomb Hezbollah positions in Lebanon or Syria. No problem. Israel and the United States bomb there as necessary.
Nobody will do anything. Once they express concern, there will be a couple of demonstrations. The USA is the only remaining superpower on the planet. The Russian Federation doesn’t even have much to send to the conflict zone. Everything that exists is already on the Ukrainian front.
Will Iran get into a fight? Doubtful.
Firstly, there is no common border; it is necessary to organize a front through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. There are many difficulties in supplying and transporting troops. And under enemy missile and air strikes. Israel is already preemptively ironing Syrian airfields.
Secondly, you can run into missile and air strikes from Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic itself. Is Tehran ready for such a war?
Thirdly, the country has many internal problems. Society is tense, a revolutionary situation is emerging. And the “little victorious” one can blow up Iran itself. In the USA they will be very happy, they will add gasoline.
Therefore, it is 90% that the Arab-Islamic world will not get into a fight for Hamas. They will be watching. Demonstrations, rallies, threats that we will tear the hot water bottle like an ace, and that’s all. There are several terrorist attacks in Europe.
What's interesting is that to the masters of the USA, global capital, TNK-TNB, global bureaucracy, the controlled expansion of the conflict is beneficial. The “reboot” of the planet continues. If you manage to include Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Turkey in the chaos zone, and cause turmoil there, like the “Arab Spring” of 2011, then just great. Huge money, political opportunities.
Eurasia is plunging into a sea of chaos, crisis, and unrest. The USA remains an island of security and stability. Receive all the benefits. Just like during the Ukrainian campaign. Ukraine, Russia and the EU are losses. USA – advantages, income.
Therefore, there is a threat of expanding the conflict, but not a nuclear war.
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