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Iraq–Israel relations
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Iraq–Israel relations
Iraq–Israel relations refer to the bilateral ties between the State of Israel and the Republic of Iraq. Due to Iraq's non-recognition of Israel as a legitimate state since the latter's establishment in 1948, the two countries have not had any formal diplomatic relations. The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was a part of the Arab coalition that declared war on and invaded Israel shortly after its establishment, sparking the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and the two states have since then been in a continuous state of hostilities. Iraqi forces also participated in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War in 1967 and 1973, respectively.
In 1981, Israel carried out Operation Opera in Ba'athist Iraq, in which the Israeli Air Force bombed and successfully destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor that was under construction at the Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre near Baghdad; the reactor had been attacked and partially damaged by Iran during its Operation Scorch Sword, which had been carried out a year prior to the Israeli strike amidst the Iran–Iraq War. During the 1990–1991 Gulf War, Iraq carried out a missile campaign against Israel, in which it launched 42 modified Scud missiles (designated Al-Hussein) at Israeli cities with the strategic objective of provoking Israel into launching retaliatory attacks and potentially jeopardizing the multinational coalition formed by the United States against Iraq, which had full backing and extensive contributions from other Muslim-majority states; Israel did not respond to the Iraqi missile attacks due to American pressure, and Iraq failed to gather support for its occupation of Kuwait.
The post-2003 Republic of Iraq continues to be a strong supporter of the Arab League boycott of Israel. All Iraqi passports are invalid for travel to Israel and Israeli passports are likewise invalid for entry into Iraq. Alongside a number of other Arab and Muslim-majority countries, Iraq is designated as a hostile state under Israeli law, and Israeli citizens may not visit the country without a special permit issued by the Israeli Interior Ministry.
The British in the 1930s built the Mosul–Haifa oil pipeline from Western Iraq through the British-ruled Emirate of Transjordan then to Haifa, in Mandatory Palestine. During the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Irgun - an Israeli independence movement - participated in the British invasion of Iraq. Immediately after the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, Arab armies, including those of Iraq, invaded the former Mandate Palestine territory, and the oil pipeline to Haifa was shut down, and the pipeline diverted through a branch line to Tripoli in Syria. Following the war, Iraq was the only Arab country not to sign a ceasefire agreement with Israel, and the two countries have technically been in a continuous state of war since 1948.
Despite not sharing a border with Israel, Iraq was an important player in the Arab–Israeli conflict. Iraqi troops in Jordan became involved in the Six-Day War in 1967, suffering 10 dead. The war ended before the Iraqis had time to undertake any serious offensive action. Iraq played a more important role in the Yom Kippur War, when it sent 30,000 men, 250–500 tanks, and 700 APCs to the Syrian front just as the Syrians were on the verge of collapse. Combined Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian counterattacks prevented the Israelis from advancing further into Syria, but failed to push the Israelis back. The war ended in an Arab defeat, with Israeli forces standing 40 km from Damascus.
Under Saddam Hussein's rule, Israel regarded Iraq as a major security threat. In 1981, Israel carried out Operation Opera, bombing Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor to halt the development of nuclear weapons. Iraq, busy with the Iran–Iraq War, did not respond. Throughout the war, Israel provided clandestine support to Iran, viewing Iraq as a more serious threat than Iran.
During the Gulf War in 1991, without provocation, Iraq fired 42 Scud missiles at Israel, aiming to drag Israel into the war and thus imperil the US-led coalition, in which several Arab countries participated. Upon urging by the United States of Israel to stay out of the war, Israel did not retaliate.
According to British author Nigel Ashton, in 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin sent a message to Hussein through King Hussein of Jordan requesting a meeting between him and Hussein. Rabin hoped peace with Iraq might encourage Iran and Syria to do the same. Rabin was assassinated in November, ending the contact between the two governments. Rabin had previously supervised Operation Bramble Bush, a failed 1992 plan to assassinate Hussein with Sayeret Matkal commandos.
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Iraq–Israel relations
Iraq–Israel relations refer to the bilateral ties between the State of Israel and the Republic of Iraq. Due to Iraq's non-recognition of Israel as a legitimate state since the latter's establishment in 1948, the two countries have not had any formal diplomatic relations. The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was a part of the Arab coalition that declared war on and invaded Israel shortly after its establishment, sparking the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and the two states have since then been in a continuous state of hostilities. Iraqi forces also participated in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War in 1967 and 1973, respectively.
In 1981, Israel carried out Operation Opera in Ba'athist Iraq, in which the Israeli Air Force bombed and successfully destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor that was under construction at the Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre near Baghdad; the reactor had been attacked and partially damaged by Iran during its Operation Scorch Sword, which had been carried out a year prior to the Israeli strike amidst the Iran–Iraq War. During the 1990–1991 Gulf War, Iraq carried out a missile campaign against Israel, in which it launched 42 modified Scud missiles (designated Al-Hussein) at Israeli cities with the strategic objective of provoking Israel into launching retaliatory attacks and potentially jeopardizing the multinational coalition formed by the United States against Iraq, which had full backing and extensive contributions from other Muslim-majority states; Israel did not respond to the Iraqi missile attacks due to American pressure, and Iraq failed to gather support for its occupation of Kuwait.
The post-2003 Republic of Iraq continues to be a strong supporter of the Arab League boycott of Israel. All Iraqi passports are invalid for travel to Israel and Israeli passports are likewise invalid for entry into Iraq. Alongside a number of other Arab and Muslim-majority countries, Iraq is designated as a hostile state under Israeli law, and Israeli citizens may not visit the country without a special permit issued by the Israeli Interior Ministry.
The British in the 1930s built the Mosul–Haifa oil pipeline from Western Iraq through the British-ruled Emirate of Transjordan then to Haifa, in Mandatory Palestine. During the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Irgun - an Israeli independence movement - participated in the British invasion of Iraq. Immediately after the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, Arab armies, including those of Iraq, invaded the former Mandate Palestine territory, and the oil pipeline to Haifa was shut down, and the pipeline diverted through a branch line to Tripoli in Syria. Following the war, Iraq was the only Arab country not to sign a ceasefire agreement with Israel, and the two countries have technically been in a continuous state of war since 1948.
Despite not sharing a border with Israel, Iraq was an important player in the Arab–Israeli conflict. Iraqi troops in Jordan became involved in the Six-Day War in 1967, suffering 10 dead. The war ended before the Iraqis had time to undertake any serious offensive action. Iraq played a more important role in the Yom Kippur War, when it sent 30,000 men, 250–500 tanks, and 700 APCs to the Syrian front just as the Syrians were on the verge of collapse. Combined Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian counterattacks prevented the Israelis from advancing further into Syria, but failed to push the Israelis back. The war ended in an Arab defeat, with Israeli forces standing 40 km from Damascus.
Under Saddam Hussein's rule, Israel regarded Iraq as a major security threat. In 1981, Israel carried out Operation Opera, bombing Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor to halt the development of nuclear weapons. Iraq, busy with the Iran–Iraq War, did not respond. Throughout the war, Israel provided clandestine support to Iran, viewing Iraq as a more serious threat than Iran.
During the Gulf War in 1991, without provocation, Iraq fired 42 Scud missiles at Israel, aiming to drag Israel into the war and thus imperil the US-led coalition, in which several Arab countries participated. Upon urging by the United States of Israel to stay out of the war, Israel did not retaliate.
According to British author Nigel Ashton, in 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin sent a message to Hussein through King Hussein of Jordan requesting a meeting between him and Hussein. Rabin hoped peace with Iraq might encourage Iran and Syria to do the same. Rabin was assassinated in November, ending the contact between the two governments. Rabin had previously supervised Operation Bramble Bush, a failed 1992 plan to assassinate Hussein with Sayeret Matkal commandos.
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