After the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 the belligerent powers signed the Armistice Agreement of 1949. The agreement, however, would be anything but a proper armistice. As soon as it was signed,...Show moreAfter the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 the belligerent powers signed the Armistice Agreement of 1949. The agreement, however, would be anything but a proper armistice. As soon as it was signed, there were talks of a 'second round', another war in essence, in which the Arab states declared they would succeed in defeating Israel and wiping it of the map. During the period between the agreement and the war of 1956, the antagonism between Israel and Egypt in particular grew as a result of a series of events; events that were characterised as threats to Israel's national security. Considering these treats, it has often been argued that the reason for Israel to conduct a military invasion against Egypt in 1956 was merely a reaction. This premise, however, is highly disputed within the historiography surrounding Egypt and Israel in the run up to the War of 1956. Taking this dichotomy within the historiography as the point of departure, this study will address each of the Egyptian threats accordingly and determine to what extent Israel's national security was threatened by them. Did these threats undermine Israel's national security to such an extent that they forced Israel to reluctantly mount a pre-emptive strike against Egypt?; or were the threats instead used as pretexts to launch a much desired Israeli military strike?Show less
