1st Arab-Israeli War 1948-49- US militarily intervenes to support Israel ?

[Melvin Loh]

Is there any way during 1948-49 that the Truman admin, if the Israeli War of Indepence had gone much worse than OTL for the Zionists (due to such factors perhaps as greater inter-Arab unity and a much greater shortage of arms for the HAGANAH and IRGUN due to a more effective arms embargo), could've stepped in on the side of Israel against the Arab regular armies and irregulars ? How could US forces- air, amphib or airborne- have intervened effectively to save Israel from destruction ? How would int'l relations in the Mideast have been affected, esp with the US and how Washington was viewed by Arab states vis-a-vis Israel ?

[fhaessig]

Given that Israel was a socialist state supported by Stalin at that time, the US is more likely to intervene on the arab side.

[Melvin Loh]

Surely the US wouldn't have intervened on the Arab side to support the avowed intentions of many Arabs such as the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and al-Kaukji to exterminate all the Jews within palestine, in the aftermath of the Holocaust ? And are you also discounting the substantial Jewish lobby which influenced Truman ? Sure, the Zionists got alot of Soviet bloc weaponry, such as their smuggled-in Czech-built Avia versions of the Me109, but the US even at thiat point had strong pro-Jewish elements who weren't just gonna let their co-religionists be killed en masse or expelled by their Arab enemies.

[rowmaster]

You forget that Israel had by 1948 lost a good amount of sympathy in the worlds eyes with the Irgun and Stern Gang Terrorist Attacks on British Troops.

If things go bad enough for Isreal though the US might support a peacekeeping force being sent in to evacuate the Israelis and to stop Genocide

[Grimm Reaper]

If the pro-Israel lobby was so strong, why didn't they prevail on Truman to actually send armaments, or even squeeze governments greatly dependent on the US to vote in favor of partition? Several nations greatly subject to US influence abstained and one voted against. Nor would it have been hard to send substantial support extremely cheaply, given the vast piles of WWII equipment lying around to rust away.

[Floid]

The US was not particularly pro-Israeli until after the Suez Crisis; I can't see them intervening at all, let alone intervening on the Israeli side.

[Max Sinister]

Stalin supported Israel? That was quite new to me...

[Grimm Reaper]

The first really large scale US role involving troops on the ground, ironically, was in 1991.

Prior to that a few thousand troops showed up in Lebanon in the early 1950s. Given the quality of Lebanese beaches and the well-known beauty of Lebanese women, we're probably lucky the men didn't desert en masse.

[Gladi]

Originally Posted by Max Sinister

Stalin supported Israel? That was quite new to me...

Bright day
He even told Czechoslovakia to scrape some arms for Israel and train some soldiers. Actually Eastbloc and Israel had normal relationship for lot of time. My father was able to live in Israel in 1969-1970.

[fhaessig]

The kiboutzim ( sp, ) movement was ( and still is ) a collectivist movement; while the arab monarchies at the time were supported by the Uk. Israel in 48-49 was under an arms embargo from the west ( US as well as UK ); while the arabs had received modern weapons - latest models spitfires, for exemple-. Until the east block provided weapons - and if you think that the order didn't come from Stalin, I've got a tower to sell to you -, Iraeli weapons was limited to what they could steal or smuggle in despite the blocus.

[Dave Howery]

eh.. the Russians sold armaments to the Israelis? IIRC, the first real Israeli tanks were the French AMX ones... don't recall the Israelis ever using T-34s or anything like that....

[MacCaulay]

Originally Posted by rowmaster

You forget that Israel had by 1948 lost a good amount of sympathy in the worlds eyes with the Irgun and Stern Gang Terrorist Attacks on British Troops.

If things go bad enough for Isreal though the US might support a peacekeeping force being sent in to evacuate the Israelis and to stop Genocide

It always seemed to me that the idea of 'peacekeeping' wasn't really in the military lexicon until the early '50s. But then again, there's always a first.

[fhaessig]

Originally Posted by Dave Howery

eh.. the Russians sold armaments to the Israelis? IIRC, the first real Israeli tanks were the French AMX ones... don't recall the Israelis ever using T-34s or anything like that....

I suggest you check the armaments of the israeli army and especially airforce prior to the 56 war.

[Gladi]

Originally Posted by Dave Howery

eh.. the Russians sold armaments to the Israelis? IIRC, the first real Israeli tanks were the French AMX ones... don't recall the Israelis ever using T-34s or anything like that....

obligatory wiki article

There was big showcase just two months ago in Military Museum about it, so I give you my word untill I can provide further sources.

some another