Whilst her Kibbutzim shared a natural community affinity with Israel's partners (old and new), the emergence of a Communist Israel was far from inevitable at the close of World War Two. Ironically, the hero of that conflict, George Marshall (pictured) was the senior leadership figure most directly responsible for the loss of both Israel and China.

"They don't need a state, they don't deserve a state, it isn't theres, its stolen that land'"President Truman had been inclined to give the "victims of Hitler's madness" the opportunity to "build new lives". But his Because his Secretary of State had countered "If you (recognize the state of Israel) and if I were to vote in the election, I would vote against you".

"[The recognition of Israel would be a] a transparent dodge to win the Jewish Vote'"

And on May 12th 1948, two days before the end of the British Mandate, Truman summoned Marshall to the White House to confirm that he was nevertheless planning to recognise the State of Israel. Marshall, who had already given assurances to Arab rulers that America would not, and exploded, accusing Truman of "a transparent dodge to win the Jewish Vote" and insisting "they don't need a state, they don't deserve a state, it isn't theres, its stolen that land".

In the midst of this fracture in the US leadership, Stalin saw an opportunity to recognise Israel first. Only later did US foreign policy makers realise that America had "Lost Israel" giving the Soviet Union an unwelcome entry into the Middle East. And the weapons that would be used to defend Tel Aviv would arrive from Czechoslakia.

By the late eighties, it was clear that Soviet Union was no longer a reliable source of weaponry, because in Mikhael Gorbachev, Israel saw a weak leader who was pressing the self-destruct button. With the United States dependent on Arab Oil, America was determined to prevent China from arming Israel. It was a fateful foreign policy decision that would escalate into a major confrontation between the United States and China.