By Mail Foreign Service
UPDATED: 20:45 GMT, 20 April 2011

Israel secretly provided arms and supplies to Argentina during the Falklands
conflict, according to revelations in a new book.

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin
had such a deep-rooted hatred of the British that the Jewish state covertly
became the biggest supplier of military equipment to the Argentine military
junta.

Gas masks, radar alert systems, air-to-air missiles and fuel tanks for
fighter bombers were sent from Tel Aviv to arm General Galtieri’s forces. The
most audacious deal involved supplying 23 French-built fighter aircraft – Mirage
IIICs – which were camouflaged with the insignia of Peru. But they arrived after
the war was over.

All smiles: Margaret Thatcher shakes hands with
then-Isreali Prime
Minister Menachem Begin in 1979. But the Jewish leader's hatred of the British
spurred him to send weapons to Argentina's military junta during the Falklands
War
Britain, under Margaret Thatcher, retook the Falkland Islands in June 1982,
two and a half months after Argentina invaded. Some 255 British servicemen, more than 650 Argentines and three islanders were killed.

Although it was well known at the time that France was supplying missiles to
Argentina – most infamously the Exocet missiles used to sink HMS Sheffield with
the loss of 20 crew – Israel’s involvement went unnoticed.But a new book, Operation Israel (1976-1983), by Argentine journalist Hernan
Dobry, changes that.

He reveals that Argentina was desperate for any ally that could provide
essential arms and other war supplies, as the British Task Force increased
pressure. The Argentine Air Force contacted Isrex Argentina – Buenos Aires
representatives of Israel’s munitions factories – who were willing to help, but
needed further authorisation from Tel Aviv and requested an interview with
Begin.
According to Israel Lotersztain, a salesman from Isrex Argentina, Begin said:
‘You’ve come to talk badly about the British. Is this going to be used to kill
the English?

‘Kadima (go ahead). Dov from up there is going to be happy with the decision.
Obviously, it must be all done perfectly.’ Dov Gruner was a close friend of
Begin who was captured and hanged by the British in April 1947, when Britain
administered Palestine.

Gruner was a member of the Irgun, which was one of the Jewish armed groups
attacking and eroding London’s grip over Palestine to ensure the birth of the
state of Israel. Begin was head of Irgun.

‘He (Begin) hated the English above all,’ Mr Lotersztain said. ‘All had
forgotten the British occupation, but not him.’

Colleague Jaime Weinstein said Mr Begin ‘had a deep hatred and resentment
towards the British’. He added: ‘He did all that was possible to help Argentina,
selling her weapons during the Malvinas conflict.’

Peru, despite trying to broker a peace deal, became the country that ‘triangled’ the supply operations, because Israel
had close relations with Britain and could not appear to openly support
Argentina.


http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=4749c36e-126f-4a2e-9b4f-ac4c364ebad3

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/falklandislands/8463934/Israel-supplied-arms-to-Argentina-during-Falklands-War.html

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4059254,00.html


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