Historical echoes from Suez to Israel’s early nuclear tensions show how players have switched positions while the risks have only intensified, says George Fergusson.

The grim events in the Middle East recall, with some irony, two approaching anniversaries. 70 years ago, Western powers co-operated with Israel to attack a troublesome neighbour; and 65 years ago, the United States was making growing threats against a Middle Eastern country with an illicit nuclear weapon programme.

The difference is that, in 1956, the attackers were Britain and France and it was the United States who pressured us into stopping and withdrawing from the Suez war with Egypt. And it was Israel in 1962 and 1963 that was facing US ultimatums to let observers examine whether it was developing an illicit nuclear bomb.

There will be plenty of events, articles and documentaries this year highlighting the Suez anniversary. From the British (and French) Governments’ perspective, there seemed to be a legal and moral justification. In October 1954 Britain had agreed with Egypt’s revolutionary Government to withdraw its troops from the Canal Zone, where they had been for decades, and for the Canal Company to be transferred to the Egyptian Government by 1968.

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Meanwhile Egypt, in a role similar Iran’s more recently, had been promoting Arab fedayeen – non-state guerrilla - attacks on Israel from Jordan, Lebanon and Gaza in 1954 and 1955. Israel had retaliated with a large-scale raid on Gaza and was planning a bigger attack........

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