Czechoslovakia and Israel in 1948-1967

The bilateral relations between Czechoslovakia and Israel from 1948–1967 can be described as very dynamic, eventful, and, above all, a significant reflection of the events of the Cold War. While the latter half of the 1940s was characterised by an exceptionally high level of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, with Czechoslovakia making a significant contribution to the creation of an independent Israel, the situation changed diametrically in the following years, and mutual relations cooled considerably. The political trials of the 1950s in Czechoslovakia, which were typified by significant anti-Semitism, played a fundamental role in this period. Subsequently, in the ongoing Middle East conflict, Czechoslovakia, like most of the Eastern Bloc states, unequivocally sided with the Arab states. Tensions in Czechoslovak-Israeli relations escalated in June 1967, when Czechoslovakia officially severed all ties with Israel in response to the events of the Six-Day War. This situation persisted until the change of political regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989.