The Arab-Israeli War: America’s Role | Retro Report

This seven-minute video provides students with a concise and engaging contextualization of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, with focus on the reasons underlying America’s neutrality, and the efforts of a small group of American veterans who violated that neutrality to smuggle arms and planes that played a decisive role in the outcome of the war. A resonant and compelling story of men who risked prison for a cause they believed in, the video provides vivid human texture to an important moment in history. The video also serves as an introduction to the topic of American-Israeli relations, and will help students better understand the broader context of America’s role in the Middle East since World War II.