ABSTRACT
In a speech to members of the Israeli Army’s Supreme Command on 27 March 1953, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion said: ‘The Jewish people is the only one in the entire world walking in complete solitude on the historical stage from time immemorial to this day.’ He assured his audience that Israel ‘will not confine its ties to either certain areas or certain states.’1 Surrounded by hostile neighbours, the newly formed state of Israel was willing to establish ties with any country willing to grant it recognition. However, establishing diplomatic relations involved complications that could hardly be anticipated then. Israel’s foreign policy was constrained for several reasons. Soon after the state’s formation, its leaders began fostering a pro-Western orientation, which limited their ability to establish ties with countries perceived as hostile to the West. Moreover, the emergence of the Cold War and the need to maintain cordial relations with the US compelled the Israeli government to maintain distance from communist countries. One obvious example of such a limitation manifested itself clearly during the early 1950s, when Israel failed to respond favourably to China’s friendly overtures and thus missed an opportunity to establish diplomatic relations with it. Numerous critics argued that Israel had missed a rare opportunity, one which did not present itself again until the early 1990s.
