The Soviet-Israeli War, 1967–1973. The USSR’s Military Intervention in the Egyptian-Israeli Conflict

THE SOVIET–ISRAELI WAR, 1967–1973

Soviet–Israeli back channel—which indicates that the Israelis had not shared the
previous meetings. Amnon Lord, based on Dinitz’s reports, categorizes Primakov’s
mission as straight disinformation by a past master of the art. Primakov’s advice was
that “the Israelis should not be too impressed by, or overestimate the importance of,
the expulsion of experts in July ’72,” because the Soviets actually “are still strongly in
Eg ypt, with friends and weapons.” If this typical arrogance of Primakov’s was indeed
disinformation, it was of an unusual variety: truth that is intended to be taken as
empty bluster. Whether or not this was Primakov’s intent, the Israelis indeed per-
ceived his “veil of threats” as masking Soviet discomfiture.^56