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This page will direct the vistor to data on Israel with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Topics of interest include the terrorist organizations in the region as well as a basic country study and a background briefing from the U.S. Central Command.
Note: At the conclusion of the Gulf War, Israel was left with a number of complete Patriot Missile batteries sans expended rounds. Very soon after the war ended, Israel ordered yet more Patriot batteries. It is assumed that this purchase was in addition to the replenishment of those complete launch facilities thought left behind.
Israel was founded on May 14, 1948 after many years of struggle between all arabs and jews who populated the palestinian areas. This ended the British caretaker role in the region, precipitated by the U.N. General Assembly's partitioning of the area into Jewish and Arab states. See also Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq-Kuwait, MidEast: Pro-West, Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Desert Storm.
Immediately, the Arab states rejected the partitioning and invaded Israel. Israel weathered the attacks and by 1948 had actually gained some land as part of the fighting. Separate armistices were signed between Israel and other Arab states in 1949. No real peace agreement with the Arab states nor autonomy for the Palestinians was reached however, and strife continued.
Finally, after numerous and persistent terrorist raids by arabs, Israel invaded Eygpt's Sanai Desert on October 29, 1956. British and French forces aided Israel briefly. A United Nations cease fire was agreed upon on November 6, beginning a shaky truce which only lasted until Egypt's President Nasser demanded the U.N. Emergency Force on May 19, 1967. Egyptian forces immediately reoccupied the Gaza Strip and closed the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping.
On June 5, the Israelis struck back in the 6 days war, retaking the Gaza strip, as well as the area on the Sinai Peninsula to the Suez Canal, and captured Old Jerusalem, Syria's Golen Heights, and Jordan's West Bank. Another U.N. arranged cease fire occured on June 10, 1967.
Egypt and Syria once again attacked Israel on October 6, 1973 on the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, and were supplied by massive Soviet airlifts of material. Responding to the secret Soviet aid to the Arabs, the U.S. added airlift to Israel, and the Israeli's drove across the Suez Canal.
Again a cease fire was arranged on October 24, and a U.N. peace- keeping force was left in the area. Beginning on January 18, 1974, the Israeli's withdrew from the Suez Canal's West Bank, and by 1976 all troops had withdrawn from all areas except the Sinai. In 1982, Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt.
Over the next two years Palestinian terrorists killed scores of Israeli's throughout the world.
In March of 1978 Israel invaded the southern portion of Lebanon following a terrorist attack by Palestinians based in Lebanon. Israel then withdrew in favor of a 6,000 man U.N. force.
Israel again invaded and occupied southern Lebanon in retaliation to a Palestinian raid on a kibuttz in April of 1980. Israel maintained troops in Lebanon in the Beirut-Ahle area and Israeli jets bombed Palestine Liberation Organization strongholds in Lebanon in April and May of 1982. Once again, on June 6, Israeli aircraft attacked PLO strongholds in Lebanon.
Israeli and Syrian forces engaged in battle in the Bekka Valley on June 9,and a quick truce was agreed upon. Israeli forces then surrounded Beirut on June 14 and began massive bombings of Beirut. Finally the PLO agreed to evacuate the city.
While holding the city, Lebanese Christian forces swept into Palestinian refugee camps and killed hundreds. Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon in June of 1986.
All through the eighties, West Bank and Gaza Strip Palestinians became more and more militant with both Jews and Palestinians suffering death. The violence has escaleted, abated, and escalated again several times as other world leaders attempt to help the two opponents work their way through to a settlement.
On January 17th, 1991, Iraq launched SCUD missiles into Israel in retailiation for the Coalition attack on Iraq. This attack on Iraq was in response to the Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait, and had nothing to do with Israeli's despite Iraq President Suddam Hussein's claim that he was attacking Kuwait for all the Palestinians. Israel was not part of the Coalition, and after some intense diplomacy with the U.S. agreed not to retalitate "at this time". Several SCUD attacks occurred during the period January 17 through February 28th, but Israel retained a "cool head" and did not enter the war.
Speculation has been that if Iraq had sent SCUDs or artillery shells armed with chemical weapons, there would have been no stopping Israel, and it is rumored that the Israeli's would have used their most dangerous weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons.
Note: 8/93: Israel is reported to either have already built nuclear weapons, or at least has the means to quickly assemble and field them. The effect of this development is that other Middle Eastern countries who fear Israel (Arab Nations naturally), are expected to develop their own nuclear weapons. Moderate Arab Nations such as Saudia Arabia or Egypt are not thought to be threats, but other countries such as Iraq, Iran, and Syria are of major concern. See Nuclear Armed for more information.
An attempt at final negotiation occurred in the last few years of 2000, however when Israel presented a solution that was not all that the Palestinian negotiator, Arafat, would accept, the peace talks failed. Attempt after attempt has failed since and the violence has become punctuated with suicide bombers killing innocents of all descriptions in such places as Israel fast food restaurants to the continued bombing of local transit buses and school buses as well as drive-by style shootings.
The data below was verified in 1984.
A complete and more up-to-date force list can be found in
the AFI Research Archives.
Forces in Arms
Data valid on 1/1/86:
Total Armed Forces: 141,000 (98,300 conscripts, with a mobilization capabilitiy of 500,000 of which 100,000 can report within 24 hours.
Total Defense 1984 Budget: $4 - 8 billion
Army:
104,000 (88,000 conscripts with another 600,000 on mobilization including civil defense
11 Armored divisions
33 Armored Brigades
10 mechanized infantry brigades (3 tank, 1 mechaniized infantry batallion)
Naval Militia:
12 territorial/border infantry brigades
15 artillery brigades each with 5 batallions of 3 batteries each
AFV: Armored forces consist of some 3,600 MBT incl 1,100 British made Centurion, 600 U.S. made M-48, and 1,210 M-60, 250 Russian T-54/55, 150 T-62, and 250 Merkava I/II. Also 4,000 AFV/RECCE inl Ramta RBY, BRDM-1/2, Shoet Mk 2, M2/3, 4,000 M-113, OT-62 BTR-50P APC
Arty: M-46 1300mm, 140M-0107 175mm SP guns; 70 M-101 105mm, 100 D-30 122mm, M-68/71 155 mm towed,, 300 Soltam L-33, M-60, M-72, 300 M-109mm, 48 M-110 203mm SP howitzers; 122mm, 160mm, BM-24 240mm, MAR-290 290mm MRL; Lance SSM; 900 81mm, 120mm and 160mm Mortar (some SP)
ATK: B-300 82mm RL; 106mm RCL; TOW, Cobra, Dragon, Picket, and Milan ATGW
AD: 2 batteris with 24 Vulcan/Chapparal 20mm gun/msl systems, 900 w0mm, ZSU-23-4 23mm SP, 30mm and 40mm SP AA guns; Redeye SAM
On Order in 1984 were: 125 M-60 MBT; Re'em AFV; 800 M-113 APC; 200 M-109A1B SP 155mm howitzers, M-107 175mm SP guns; Lance SSM; TOW, Dragon ATGW
Troops: 9,000 (3,300 conscripts, 10,000 upon mobilization)
Submarines: 3 Type 206 subs conventional
Corvettes: 4 Aliya (Saar-4-5) corvettes with 4 Gabriel and 4 Harpoon SSM, 1 Bell 206 ASW helicopter
FAC: 20 FAC(G); 8 Reshef (Saar-4) with 5 Gabriel III and 4 Harpoon SSM; 6 Saar-2 with 6 Gabriel; 6 Saar-3, 5-8 Gabriel
Picket: 2 Flagstaff, 2 hydrofoils FAC(G) with 2 Gabriel and 2 Harpoon SSM
45 coastal patrol craft; 37 Dabur, 2 Dvora, 6 Hawk
3 LSM; 6 LCT; 3 LCU
Aircraft: 4 Seascan 1124N marine recon aircraft
Naval CDO: 300
On order 1984: 2 Saar-5 Corvettes, 10 Flagstaff hydrofoils, 3 Seascan Marine Recon aircraft
Aircraft: Some 555 combat aircraft (90 probably stored) and 60 armed helicopters.
15 FGA/interceptor squadrons; 2 with 40 F/TF-15, 5 with 131 F-4E, 5 with 150 Kfir C1/C2/C7, with 67 F-16A, 8 F-16B
4 FGA squadrons with 130 A-4N/J Skyhawk
Recce: 13 RF-4E, 2 OV-1E, 4 E-2C Airborne Early Warning, 4 RU- 21J, 2 C-130, 4 Boeing 707 ECM
Helicopters: 30 AH-1S, 30 Hughes 500MD ATK, 8 Super Frelon, 33 CH-53A, 2 S-65E, 25 Bell 206,
60 Bell 212, 17 UH-1D
Drones: Mastiff 2, Scout, Teledyne Ryan 124R
15 SAM battalions with Improved Hawk
AAM: Sidewinder, AIM-7E/F Sparrow, Shafrir, Python III
ASM: Luz, Maverick,, Shrike, Walley, Bullpup, Gabriel III (mod)
On order in 1984: 11 F-15, 75 F-16; 60 Kfir C7 and TC-2 trg aircraft; 200 Improved Hawk SAM;
Coastguard: 3 US PBR, 3 other patrol aircraft.
(Note: 8/93: After the Gulf War, Israel began ordering
undisclosed number of Patriot missile batteries, as well as began
development of their own theatre ABM systems. Also, Israel may be
providing funds to aid the U.S. in developing a follow-on improvement
program to the Patriots)
Further Reading: