Category Archives: Middle East

In 1956, following the nationalization of the Suez Canal, the French, British and Israelis decided to launch major action against Egypt and especially against Nasser. This tripartite decision resulted in what we usually call The Suez Affair. While on October 22, the French committed the first hijacking of the century by boarding the plane carrying Algerian leader Ben Bella and the next day the Budapest uprising broke out, a secret meeting began in an isolated villa in Sèvres, France. Attended among others: Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Shimon Péres, Bourgès-Monoury, General Challe, Selwyn Lloyd.