Language:
English
Year of publication:
2021
Titel der Quelle:
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies
Angaben zur Quelle:
48,5 (2021) 816-831
Keywords:
Sinai Campaign, 1956 Influence
;
Israel Foreign relations
;
France Foreign relations
;
France Foreign relations
;
Decision making
;
France Foreign relations
Abstract:
French policy towards Israel in the 1950s and 1960s depended on a number of variables. Above all, French diplomacy never considered Israel apart from broader Middle Eastern and international considerations. The collusion of the Sinai Campaign of 1956 transformed this situation only to a certain extent; parallel evaluation of the merits and limits of Franco-Israeli relations predated the establishment of the French Fifth Republic. A process of readjustment undertaken by de Gaulle’s administration came to the fore in 1960. It combined elements of practical assistance with reserved association in public. The nature of transition defied simple classification. While Israel was concerned about allegedly waning support, the official French narrative denied the existence of a major shift in the substance of bilateral ties. In a way, each party misinterpreted the actions of the other: for Israel, ongoing French assistance did not fully outweigh the decline in overt expressions of ‘friendship’; viewed from Paris, the reactions to every minor French ‘no’ seemed exaggerated. The limitations accompanying bilateral trade confirmed these diverging perspectives even further. Yet, seen in its proper historical context, the outcome of this process was not set in stone.
DOI:
10.1080/13530194.2020.1715787
URL:
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