Special to WorldTribune.com

JERUSALEM — Forty years later, Israel released testimony that
reported fear of a U.S. reaction to a pre-emptive strike that could have
prevented the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria.

The government released testimony by then-Prime Minister Golda Meir that
reviewed decisions before the 1973 war, in which nearly 3,000 Israeli
soldiers were killed.

In testimony to a state commission, Ms. Meir acknowledged that she feared a U.S. backlash to any pre-emptive strike on Egypt and Syria.

“The heart was drawn to it, but I was afraid,” Ms. Meir said.

The testimony was released on Sept. 12 on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. The commission, told of a tip of an imminent war by an Arab leader, cleared Ms. Meir and blamed the Egyptian and
Syrian attack on Israel’s military command.

Ms. Meir, Israel’s only woman prime minister, said she had ruled out a
pre-emptive strike, which began the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. She told the
commission that the United States, under then-President Richard Nixon, would
not tolerate an Israeli surprise attack and block military supplies to the
Jewish state.

“I can say with almost full confidence that if we launched a pre-emptive
strike the American air lift wouldn’t come through,” Ms. Meir said. “I don’t
know if you know this, but the airlift didn’t go so smoothly.”

The release of the testimony differed from the findings of the
commission, led by Judge Shimon Agranat. The commission concluded that the
military brass, particularly intelligence commander Gen. Eli Zeira, misled
the government in assurances that Egypt and Syria would not attack Israel.

In her 1974 testimony, Ms. Meir acknowledged that she mistrusted the
military assessment that played down the prospect of war. At the same time,
the prime minister, who resigned a year after the 1973 war, said she feared
that Washington would blame Israel for another round of fighting with its
Arab neighbors.

“I knew at least that there won’t be an accusation that we started the
war,” Ms. Meir said. “I said, 1973 is not 1967 and we won’t be forgiven this
time. Maybe some men would still die, but I don’t know how many more others
would die because of lack of equipment.”

  Gen. Eli Zeira, Golda Meir feared U.S. backlash for Israeli pre-emptive strike, In 1973 testimony, Richard Nixon, Yom Kippur War