Abstract:
In September 1970, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan stood on the brink of collapse, threatened by Palestinian fedayeen and Syrian forces. King Hussein’s survival depended on the highly unlikely partnership of Israel. Drawing on Israeli, American, and British archives, this article reconstructs the dramatic diplomacy and military calculations behind the Black September crisis. The article argues that Israel’s decision to intervene was shaped not only by strategic concerns but also by Prime Minister Golda Meir’s absence from the country and by the convictions and personalities of key leaders, particularly Acting Prime Minister Yigal Allon, whose activism proved decisive.
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