Neil Chandiramani's List: The Suez Crisis Neil

Introduction

Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained

“In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons”

- Herodotus

The Zionists and the indigenous Arabian people have agreed with each other on little occasion and often resort to war to settle their differences. The Suez Crisis was one of a series of wars between the now-established Israeli people and the Egyptians with Arab backing. The Crisis was important in history because it brought about the idea of Israel as a new Middle Eastern power. People, mostly Egyptian sympathizers, suggested that Israel was acting under Anglo-French interests as they wanted to regain control of the Suez Canal after it had been nationalized by the Egyptian president of the time, Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Suez Crisis of 1956 was a tipping point in the Arab-Israeli conflict because of how it led to more strained relationships between the two peoples and how it was treated by the Egyptians; as a victory against the foreign powers.

Common Knowledge

- Nasser the President of Egypt at the time Nationalized the Suez Canal after the US withdrew aid for the Aswan dam

- Instead the Egyptians got aid from the Soviets and Egypt recognized communist China

- Israel’s shipping was being blocked out of the Strait of Tiran

- Israel, France and GB work together; the Israelis are to move toward the canal and the the British and French need

to go in to keep the Israelis and Egyptians away from each other and secure the canal

- No territory gained or lost

- Nasser gains respect in his people's eyes

- Israelis return to Sinai

Source:

Beth Kapner

Common Knowledge Significance

- Nasser the President of Egypt at the time Nationalized the Suez Canal after the US withdrew aid for the Aswan dam

Significance: Nasser finally stood up to them, this made his people respect him a lot more than they did before. But this is also the reason why he had to accept help from the Soviets. It also signifies how the US and USSR are "all powerful" or as in they are the best help you can get...Nasser went to one got rejected...so he went to the other one.

- Instead the Egyptians got aid from the Soviets and Egypt recognized communist China

Significance: It really ticked of the US that Egypt was now getting help from Russia, plus the fact that Egypt recognized a communist country was to much.

- Israel, France and GB work together; the Israelis are to move toward the canal and the the British and French need

to go in to keep the Israelis and Egyptians away from each other and secure the canal

Significance: Shows GB and France's true colors how they will go behind your back to get what they want but in the end it didn't make a different both faced their demise and US and USSR came out strong.

- No territory gained or lost

Significance: Nothing changed except for the respect for Nasser and the ideas in people's minds.

- Nasser gains respect in his people's eyes

Significance: As a leader respect is extremely important and Nasser finally got it.

Book Source: The Suez Crisis - Paul Harper

Direct quotations from the book which I have paraphrased into my writing:

Pg 45 "The Israeli raid on Gaza was a profound turning point for Nasser. He had visited the Egyptian soldiers stationed there just before they were attacked and told them that there was nothing to fear, there would be no war. Now many of them had been killed in their sleep."

Pg 45 "Before Gaza he had rigorously suppressed the emergence of an armed Palestinian in order to avoid Egypt's being dragged into war with Israel, which he knew Egypt could not win. But now, to defuse the popular outrage over what was viewed as Israeli provocation, he began to allow Palestinian guerrillas to mount raids."

Pg. 45 "Knowing that Britain and France would not help in building up Egyptian military power, Nasser turned to the United States."

Pg 47-48 "The United States had then a minimal military involvement in the region and by nature was reluctant to increase the flow of armaments."

Pg 49 "...Canal and denounced as Western Exploitation system in which over 90 percent of the revenue from and Egyptian national asset went into foreign pockets"

All this info paraphrased into my writing:

The Suez Crisis also known as The 1956 War began after an Israeli raid that took place in Gaza. This raid countered what Gamal Abdel Nasser, president of Egypt at the time, had told his soldiers in the prior days; that they were safe. Previously Nasser had tried to suppress violence against Israel, as he knew if a war were to be instigated between the two Egypt would not win. With Nasser finally changing his mind and deciding to retaliate he needed help. He appealed to the US for arms but with the US not very militarily caught up in the area they didn’t want to get involved any further. Without the Americans the Egyptians had to look elsewhere, the Soviets. As the US received the news of the Egyptians getting aid from the Soviets they immediately responded by withdrawing their financial support that had been promised for a project, the Aswan High Dam. Nasser soon responded by nationalizing the Suez Canal an Egyptian asset in which 90% of the revenue went into foreign pockets. With the British and French Governments extremely angry with Nasser they decided to work with the Israelis in order to keep the Egyptians and Israelis away from one another and to get the Egyptians out of the Suez Canal so that they could once again seize control.

Citation:

Harper, Paul. The Suez Crisis. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises, 1987. Print.

Conclusion

The Suez Crisis of 1956 was a major turning point in the Arab-Israeli conflict as through it Israel had now become the militarily dominant power in the region. It was also a time where Egypt’s attitude towards the Israelis grew more aggressive and they finally achieved a political victory. The Suez Crisis showed the world and Nasser’s people that he would not idly stand by and be pressured by other countries to do as they pleased. The fact that Israel was able to capture the Sinai is crucial to the two nations’ eventual peace in Camp David. The Suez Crisis, in a way, led to Egypt and Israel’s eventual recognition of one another and their peace, which set an example for other Arab nations that followed.