Iran & the Flexibility of History

One of the most troubling aspects of the public debate is the fact that it has become very superficial, and sometimes inaccurate. Maj. Gen. (ret.) David Ivry tells the diplomatic story of the 1981 attack of the Iraqi nuclear reactor, from the eyes of the IAF commander at the time

Iran & the Flexibility of History

(Photo: IMOD'S Archives)

In the context of the Iranian issue, numerous opinions are being voiced both for and against the moves made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is highly legitimate once the issue has become a matter of public debate. Every individual is free to think and assess the courses of action that he considers appropriate, which may sometimes fail to coincide with the way chosen by the Prime Minister.

In similar situations in the past, Israeli prime ministers did not submit such issues to public debate. Instead, they kept the deliberation process behind closed doors and demanded that anyone “in the know” sign a non-disclosure document in which they undertook to keep the knowledge to themselves and avoid discussing any of it on the media. By doing so, those prime ministers kept the responsibility and the decision-making capacity in their own hands, leaving it to history to judge them for their decisions and actions.

One of the most troubling aspects of the public debate is the fact that it has become very superficial. The media, quite naturally, are interested in headlines rather than in depth and complexity. Unfortunately, this particular issue is highly complex and problematic and requires in-depth deliberation and careful analysis of numerous options and developments.

Even more troubling is the fact that in order to justify certain views, people cite history without really studying it. I would like to address an event with which I am thoroughly familiar, from first-hand knowledge, as I served as commander of the IAF when it occurred.

The media claim repeatedly that back in 1981, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin decided to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor despite the fact that US President Ronald Reagan was against such an attack. This claim is completely false. Prime Minister Begin had not discussed the attack with the Americans. Admittedly, he had asked them to use diplomatic channels and try to influence the French to stop the project – a process that had begun in the days of President Carter. When President Reagan entered office on January 20, 1981, the Israeli cabinet had already sanctioned the attack, leaving the decision regarding the actual timing of the attack to a smaller forum.

To the best of my knowledge and understanding, the State of Israel had not engaged in any dialog or exchange of views whatsoever with the USA regarding the military strike option. Prime Minister Begin chose this course of action knowingly and deliberately. He was convinced that it was his duty to assume responsibility and that any dialog with the USA would only restrict his decision-making latitude. President Reagan and his administration were completely taken by surprise by the Israeli attack. Back in April 1981, the US administration had sent Special Envoy Philip Habib to mediate between Syria and Israel on the issue of the Syrian SAM batteries deployed in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, after the IAF had shot down two Syrian helicopters that attacked Lebanese Christian forces. The new US administration, which had just taken office, was focused exclusively on the task of preventing undesirable developments in the Lebanese arena, so they were truly surprised by the attack against the Iraqi nuclear reactor in June 1981, about six weeks later.

Following the attack, the US administration did adopt a disapproving position: US Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger declared a “reassessment” of the security relations with Israel and stopped F-16 fighter deliveries for a while. It is possible that President Reagan did not like the attack against the Iraqi nuclear reactor, but the criticism was short-lived in view of the fact that regional stability was maintained.

US President Ronald Reagan had known nothing about the Israeli strike option. Prime Minister Begin feared that President Reagan would not support the attack, so he did not share this matter with the President. Alleging that Prime Minister Begin decided to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 contrary to the opinion of US President Ronald Reagan is a significant distortion of history.

Unfortunately, the superficial standards of discussion, especially with regard to such a profound matter, flex history and historical truth quite a bit.

 

You might be interested also

The Iron Dome System. Credit: Rafael’s Spokesperson’s Office

Rafael Ends 2023 With Record NIS 14 Billion in Sales

The company also saw a net profit of NIS 588 million and a record in new orders, amounting to NIS 30 billion. It has been working intensively during the ongoing Swords of Iron War