Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger Dies at 100
Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 100. The news of his death reignited old stories about his life, including his ties with the Likud party in Israel.
Kissinger was known as a powerful figure in international relations, but he faced pushback from Israel’s Likud party during the 1970s. The party reportedly had a strong dislike for Kissinger due to his diplomatic efforts to end the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. According to reports from the time, some Likud members went as far as putting a $150,000 ‘contract’ on Kissinger’s life in 1977 as a reaction to his diplomacy that led to Israel withdrawing from territories it had conquered during the war.
The Likud party, which now controls Israel’s far-right coalition government, strongly denied the allegation, as did the State Department. The reported plot to assassinate Kissinger is just one of several instances of intense hostility between Israelis and their strongest ally, the United States.
Kissinger’s efforts in the Middle East seemingly obstructed attempts to find a long-term solution to the situation in Palestine. He went against Richard Nixon’s directive to find lasting peace, as Kissinger believed a state of conflict and instability granted America a strategic advantage in the region. Despite his Jewish heritage, Kissinger showed little regard for the Israeli state or Jewish people beyond their utility to the American empire, according to reports.
While any animosity between Kissinger and the Likud party is long in the past, the party is now led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s strategy, according to some observers, mirrors Kissinger’s, as he uses unending conflict to maintain power and has invited more extreme politicians into the Likud coalition.
Kissinger’s legacy will continue to be a point of discussion, and his stance on international relations and Middle Eastern politics will continue to influence how history views his contributions.