Suez Invasion and Israeli Withdrawal Negotiations with Washington

American officials feared that an invasion of Egypt could bring a wider confrontation involving the Soviet Union. [1]

Israeli forces entered the Sinai Peninsula on 29 October 1956, followed by British and French attacks on Egypt under a secret agreement with Israel. Dwight D. Eisenhower opposed the operation, placing Washington against three friendly governments. [1]

Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal that July had prompted Britain and France to seek renewed control. Israel had its own security disputes with Egypt, while Washington feared a wider war and the damage an invasion would do to Western standing. American pressure and United Nations action helped bring a ceasefire in November. [1]

Israel then sought assurances about navigation through the Straits of Tiran and security in Gaza before leaving its remaining positions. In March 1957, Ambassador Abba Eban tried to secure an exchange of letters with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Dulles resisted wording that concealed their differences over Gaza, leaving withdrawal tied to arguments the ceasefire had not settled. [2]

Related Diplomats

1. Abba Eban [2]
2. Sir Roger Makins [3]
3. Sir Harold Caccia [4] [5]
4. Hervé Alphand [6] [7]

Related Reading

• Israel and the United States
• Eisenhower Opposes the Suez Invasion [1]
• Eisenhower Presses for a Ceasefire at Suez [1]