Arrr, listen ye scallywags! 'Tis a tale o' Israel's strife at sea, and how ol' President Nixon did save 'em with a crafty plan!
2023-10-13
Arr, me hearties! 'Twas a jolly fine scallywag named Nixon who brewed up a clever plan to lend a hand to Israel in their clash with them Arab armies, aye, some five decades past! They called it "Operation Nickel Grass," aye, a gold-starred scheme indeed!
The Biden administration has taken swift action to support Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists who launched a devastating attack. This move by the United States is reminiscent of a similar action taken by President Nixon in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. President Nixon ordered a mass airlift of tanks, ammunition, and equipment to aid Israel in winning the war. The operation included a creative plan to send warplanes by having them hopscotch from aircraft carrier to aircraft carrier to reach Tel Aviv and resupply Israeli jets that had been bombed. President Nixon's grandson, Chris Cox, recalls the decisive leadership shown by his grandfather and hopes that America's leaders will provide the same level of support to Israel in the current crisis.The airlift during the Yom Kippur War delivered over 22,000 tons of military equipment to Israeli forces within weeks. One particularly inventive triumph of the operation was the way in which the administration managed to resupply Israel with warplanes. Despite European refusal to allow U.S. fighter jets to transit their territory, the planes were refueled in the remote Azores by tankers from the USS John F. Kennedy before landing on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Mediterranean. They were then further refueled by tankers from the USS Independence before landing in Israel. The planes' U.S. insignias were replaced with IDF signs before they were sent into battle. Cox notes that the Yom Kippur War was a conflict involving great powers, with the Soviet Union arming Israel's attackers, much like Iran is supporting Hamas now.
Cox urges America's leaders to learn from his grandfather's approach of using a combination of dialogue and military strength to deter aggression. He emphasizes the importance of supporting Israel with all available resources, just as President Nixon did. Cox also questions why there was yet another intelligence failure in failing to anticipate Hamas' atrocities against Israeli citizens. The Yom Kippur War lasted 18 days, while the airlift lasted for 32 days. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir expressed gratitude for the immense planes from the United States, stating that they brought life to her people. As in the past, the Jewish state looks to America for help in its time of crisis.