Six months after his comments on the potential gassing of the Jews in the USSR, during the 1973 war, Kissinger, we now know, tried to sabotage Israel’s defense by arguing for delaying an airlift to aid Israel in order to make Egypt feel empowered to make peace!!! According to the article in the J Post:

During the Yom Kippur War, Nixon rejected Kissinger’s advice to delay an arms airlift to Israel as a means of setting the stage for an Egypt confident enough to pursue peace; Nixon, among other reasons, cited Israel’s urgent need.

NIXON defended Israel. Nixon was right. Kissinger was wrong about how to bring peace between Israel and Egypt and also demonstrated that American Jews in positions of leadership will not necessarily stand up for Israel in its time of need. Kissinger was overruled by Nixon. Kissinger wanted to help Egypt. Nixon realized that he needed to help Israel. Nixon’s decision resulted in peace between Israel and Egypt.

It was Israel’s strength after the war, an understanding by Egypt that victory would never be possible, that led Egypt to make peace, not Egypt’s strength. A similar policy is wrong now vis-a-vis any conflict between Israel and its enemies today.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues because many nations have come to the aid of the Palestinians and have led them to believe that victory against Israel is not only possible, but inevitable; that all they have to do is hold out. If the UN, EU, and United States are willing to force Israel to concede Jerusalem and much more, why should the Palestinians even negotiate? The Palestinians won’t make peace because they think they still have a chance to come out victorious. Empowering the Palestinians so that they feel more confident in making peace will not work. It is not working. In fact, it will make them hold out longer without making peace, without negotiations.

On the other hand, if given no choice to gain by holding out, they will negotiate. With an empowered Israel, an Israel granted a diplomatic airlift by America, those seeking Israel’s destruction will come to the table. This is why Egypt made peace. It is why Jordan made peace. It is the path to peace. Granting confidence to the other side through threats against Israel’s interests has never worked.

Kissinger is still wrong.