ISRAEL

Islamonline: 'Nuclear Blackmail' Spared Israel Complete Rout In 1973

CAIRO, October 6 (IslamOnline.net) - The United States speedily established a direct air bridge with Israel during the October War in 1973 with Egypt after the Israeli army had threatened to use nuclear weapons to head off a complete rout by the Egyptian army, Israel's channel eight quoted a former ranking Israeli official as saying.

The Israeli channel aired on Saturday night, October 4, a documentary on the 1973 war, in which the then Israeli defense minister Moshe Dayan said that the "Israeli nuclear blackmail" forced Washington to establish its air bridge in the battlefield.

Dayan met with senior Israeli army officers on October 8 to cast their votes on using nukes against the Egyptian army following the heavy losses sustained by the Israeli army in the first two days of operations.

The Israeli generals, however, were at odds, compelling Dayan to submit his proposal to the then prime minister, Golda Maier, who gave him the thumbs up, the channel added.