Ties that bind: John F. Kennedy and the foundations of the American-Israeli alliance

摘要

In August 1962, John F. Kennedy became the first American President to sell a major weapon system, the Hawk anti-aircraft missile, to Israel. The Hawk sale was part of a much larger shift in thinking about the role of the bilateral relationship with Israel in achieving America's regional objectives. This article analyses the motives for President Kennedy's decision, which represented a decisive break from the arms control and diplomatic policies pursued by Presidents Truman and, especially, Eisenhower. The article ultimately concludes that President Kennedy's new orientation was driven primarily by his affinity for the Jewish state and his more receptive attitude towards Israel's security needs, whose accommodation he thought necessary to achieve stability in the Middle East.