Quote Originally Posted by Azor View Post
I am referring specifically to Nixon’s decision to go to DEFCON 3, which was about deterring the Soviets from intervening. I am aware that Israel threatened to use nuclear weapons against the Egyptians and Syrians in order to obtain US aid.

Of course, we must ask why did Israel’s nuclear saber-rattling work on the United States, but not Syria or Egypt?

I would say that it didn’t work on the Arabs for the following reasons:

  1. Arab aims were actually rather limited (reconquest of Golan and Sinai)
  2. Israel being unable to detonate a weapon on the battlefield without inflicting damage to Israelis and Israel
  3. The expected outcry if Israel destroyed Cairo or Damascus
  4. Soviet guarantees of retaliation (see further down)




I understood that Israel was serious about using nuclear weapons given Dayan’s initial shock, and that the satellite reconnaissance only confirmed what Tel Aviv had communicated verbally to Washington.



Indeed. I also gather that the Soviets had deployed SSBNs to the area, nuclear-armed Scuds to Egypt and had a vessel carrying nuclear weapons docked in Egypt, all to dissuade the Israelis from either pressing their advantage too far and/or using nuclear weapons. The US certainly noticed the ship and the Scuds and would have kept the Israelis in the loop as well…



This is a very fun fact. Thanks for this.

Did it materially help the IDF?
Simple answer to this...was in fact it did help as most that returned following their orders were well trained combat experienced officers......there were estimates at the time of between 1500-2200 that returned home.....from all points of the globe....