Israel’s collaboration with the last Argentine military dictatorship: New sources and reinterpretation

Abstract

This article offers a new analysis of the special relationship between Israel and the last military regime in Argentina. Until now the historiographical debate on the issue was centered on the contradictions that arose between the interests of the Israeli state in this relationship, those of the Jewish community, and the ethnic commitment to rescue persecuted Jews. Israel sold arms and shut down criticism toward the regime, while quietly asked the Argentinian commanders to suppress antisemitic expressions, tried to obtain the early release of prisoners and gave refuge to persecuted leftist Jews. The analysis of documents from the Israel State Archive reveals that Israeli collaboration with the Argentinian regime included not only arms selling but also political legitimation and public relations. Archival analysis also strengthens the suspicions of intelligence collaboration. The findings should also be analyzed in a wide Cold War context. Israeli collaboration with Argentine was based on a shared counterinsurgency vision, of existential and unlimited antiterrorist struggle, and had the precedents of collaboration with the Uruguayan and Chilean dictatorships. The stability of those alliances required to moderate, hide, and silence antisemitic elements inside the dictatorial forces. At the same time, Israel had to find non confrontative ways to fulfill, even partially, with its ethnic solidarity commitments. The support given to the Argentine dictatorship was an important step in consolidating Israel as an ally and a referent for right-wing dictatorships and paramilitary forces in Latin America.