Israel has seen arms embargoes before
But this time it will struggle without American military support
On may 8th President Joe Biden confirmed that his administration would withhold shipments of certain kinds of bombs if Israel extends its invasion of Rafah, Hamas’s last main stronghold in Gaza, where over a million civilians have taken shelter.
Israel has been here before. In 1969 Britain and France imposed arms embargoes and Israel found itself without its main suppliers of tanks, fighter-jets and warships. In response, it increased its purchases of American weapons while investing heavily in its own arms industry. To replace the embargoed British Chieftain tank, it built the formidable Merkava, updated versions of which are currently being used in Gaza.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A familiar problem”
From the May 18th 2024 edition
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