Soviet orders awarded to israelis?

[RedBanner1920]

I'm curious if prior to the 6 day war any Israeli officials were ever awarded any orders or medals by the soviet union? In the late 40's the soviets were really impressed by the "Irgun" organizations gorilla tactics against the British during the man date period of Palestine.

On a side note the best book i ever read on the soviet life in the gulags and the NKVD is titled "whites nights" by the late prime minister Menachim Begin. He was arrested by the NKVD in Poland for being a "counter revolutionary" aka Zionist . The whole book details NKVD procedures and his interrogation then his life in the gulags in the end he gets free by a decree from Stalin that all polish citizens in labor camps can join the polish army. A EXCELLENT read!

[medals73]

I find it hard to believe that there would have been any Soviet awards to Israelis. Soviet policy was adamantly opposed to the whole colonialist Zionist project (as they would describe it) and it was the Soviet allies who were fighting the Israelis (and who the Soviets assisted -- I host a few awards for that service). Israel had few allies (the US, apartheid South Africa, that's about the whole list) and the USSR was far far from being one of those.

There were, of course, awards to ex-Soviet citizens who later settled in Israel, but that is a totally different matter.

[desantnik]

Yes, I agree. The Soviets gave plenty of awards to those Arab armies opposing Israel. The only thing you'll find "Soviet" is catch-up awards or Umalatova jubilee medals given to former Soviet jews after the break up of the Soviet Union.

[RedBanner1920]

Yes i know all this but in the late 1940's it was a different story. The soviet union was the first nation to vote yes on the partition of Palestine. Assuming at that time they thought that nation would be a starting point for a communism in the middle east. During the war of independence Czechoslovakia provided Israel with its first artillery pieces. With Egypt the British provided alot of support from the Anglo Egyptian pact of 1936. And alot of french and Ex- German army provided training to Syria and Lebanon. Lets not forget Iraq was very anti communist until one of there many coups in the 1950's. So i dont really know maybe late 40's early 50's things were different with the soviets concerning israel?

[Lapa]

Originally Posted by REDBANNER1920

Yes i know all this but in the late 1940's it was a different story. The soviet union was the first nation to vote yes on the partition of Palestine. Assuming at that time they thought that nation would be a starting point for a communism in the middle east...

RedBanner,

This is not quite so. True, Stalin ordered to support the creation of the Jewish state, but not because it would be a starting point for communism in the Middle East. Instead, it was a strategic decision taken in the context of the early years of the cold war; he considered that the creation of Israel would be a major headache for Great-Britain in particular and the Western block in general, although he never expected Israel to become a Soviet satellite. The resulting instability in this part of the world would force the Western block to divert and concentrate resources that would otherwise been used against the Soviet block.

Marc

[Simon]

Victor Graevsky might count as Israeli. He claimed that he was awarded Order of Lenin.
Victor Grayevsky - Telegraph