THE CONSPIRACY
WITHIN 24 hours after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France joined in an ultimatum to Egypt and Israel—and then began to bomb Cairo.
Israel's Foreign Ministry talked of "the unexpected intervention of Britain and France." Britain's Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd protested: "There was no prior agreement between us." Despite their words, there was plenty of evidence to show that the two attacks were planned in collusion ("orchestration" was the French word for it). In this conspiracy, France was the instigator, Britain a belated partner, and Israel the willing trigger.
First & Fastest. The evidence of premeditation runs back nearly two months. France moved first, and fastest. Angry and frustrated by their troubles in Algeria, the French wanted to get Nasser. Within days of Nasser's seizure of the Suez Canal Co., Premier Guy Mollet sent his Defense Minister to London to concert a joint military plan for reoccupying the canal.
The joint organization was set up and named Amilcar (after Hannibal's father). While diplomats attended London conferences and took appeals to the U.N., the British-French forces gathered on Cyprus. Tanks were painted sand-yellow, occupation currency was printed, plans were made for the requisitioning of civilian air transports. The target was Egypt; the plans at this stage had nothing to do with Israel.
Shortly thereafter, the French made a basic political decision: courtship of the Arabs was over. From then on, France set to work to woo Israel, the Arabs' enemy. Menachim Beigin, onetime terrorist and leader of Israel's hot-headed Herut party, visited Paris and was invited to address the Chamber of Deputies—an unprecedented honor for an opposition politician of a foreign country. Secretly, France shipped Israel an extra 30 Mystere jet fighters. On Sept. 23, Israel's Premier David Ben-Gurion joyfully proclaimed that Israel had at last found "a true ally." (The U.S. embassy in Israel sent round to ask who, got no answer.)
Late Joiner. At first, Britain was not I in on this act. Britain was still busy try-I ing to outbid Nasser for leadership of the I Arab world. Early in October, Sir Anthony I Eden infuriated the Israelis by suggesting Va peace based on the 1947 partition plan, which would cost Israel all the territory it won later by beating the Arabs. Jordan was the battleground of Britain's contest with Nasser. Jordan had kicked out Britain's Glubb Pasha, but still needed its $33-million-a-year subsidy from Britain. At London's urging, Iraq (Britain's only ally in the Arab world) offered Jordan military aid. But Iraq's offer came down to two planeloads of small arms; Nasser topped that by sending five Vampire jets. As a last resort, Britain proposed to send Iraqi troops into Jordan in an attempt to prevent a takeover by a Nasser-minded government in Jordan's forthcoming elections. On Oct. 12 Israel let it be known that such a move would mean war. Britain backed down, and Jordan veered conclusively toward Nasser. It was a decisive event.