From friendship to patronage: France-Israel relations, 1958-1967

The article has two main theses: first, that from 1958 to 1967- Charles de Gaulle's presidency-there was a typical patron-client relationship between France and Israel that lasted until the Six Day War. It challenges the frequent claim in the literature that relations between Israel and France did not essentially change after de Gaulle's rise to power. Second, it argues that the basis on which this relationship was founded was rocky from the start since as a client, Israel was not ready to accede to French demands that it restrain its security policy to conform to key French interests.