Nigerian Civil War

===Israel===
From early on, Israel perceived that Nigeria would be an important player in West African politics and saw good relations with Lagos as an important foreign policy objective. Nigeria and Israel established a linkage in 1957. In 1960, the United Kingdom allowed the creation of an Israeli diplomatic mission in Lagos, and Israel made a $10&nbsp;million loan to the Nigerian government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265341363|title=Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra Civil War, 1967–1970}}</ref> Israel also developed a cultural relation with the Igbos based on possible shared traditions. These moves represented a significant diplomatic success given the Muslim orientation of the northern-dominated government. Some northern leaders disapproved of contact with Israel and banned Israelis from [[Maiduguri]] and [[Sokoto]].<ref>Levey, "Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra civil war" (2014), pp. 264–265. "Israel was certain that Nigeria, the most populous country on the continent (fifty- five million in 1960) and rich in oil, would have a great influence on African politics. The Israeli foreign ministry was determined to establish full diplomatic relations upon that colony's receipt of independence (1 October 1960). Ehud Avriel, ambassador to Ghana and a close confidant of both Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and Foreign Minister Golda Meir, cautioned that were Israel to fail to establish ties with Nigeria, 'all of our work in West Africa will have come to naught'."</ref>

Israel did not begin arms sales to Nigeria until after Aguyi-Ironsi came to power on 17 January 1966. This was considered an opportune time to develop this relationship with the federal government. Ram Nirgad became Israeli ambassador to Nigeria in January. Thirty tons of mortar rounds were delivered in April.<ref>Levey, "Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra civil war" (2014), p. 266.</ref>

The Eastern Region began seeking assistance from Israel in September 1966. Israel apparently turned down their requests repeatedly, although they may have put the Biafran representatives in contact with another arms dealer.<ref>Levey, "Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra civil war" (2014), p. 267. "By September 1966, an open arms race had developed between the East and the Federal Government. In mid August, Ojukwu sent two representatives from the Eastern Region on a clandestine visit to Israel in a bid to purchase military hardware. Biafran attention to Israel was a highly astute move, primarily because the secessionists knew well what associations the massacres evoked for the Israelis."</ref> In 1968, Israel began supplying the Federal Military Government with arms—about $500,000 worth, according to the US State Department.<ref>Levey, "Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra civil war" (2014), p. 280.</ref> Meanwhile, as elsewhere, the situation in Biafra became publicised as a genocide. The [[Knesset]] publicly debated this issue on 17 and 22 July 1968, winning applause from the press for its sensitivity. Right-wing and left-wing political groups, and student activists, spoke for Biafra.<ref>Levey, "Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra civil war" (2014), pp. 270–271. "Uri Avneri of ''HaOlam HaZeh—Koach Hadash'' ('This World—New Force', a far left-wing faction) called for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Biafra, while Aryeh Ben-Eliezer, of the right-wing herut party, lambasted Egyptian and Soviet support of Nigeria. The Israeli press praised the Knesset's attention to Biafra, pointing out that Israel's parliament was the first in the world both to devote a session to the issue and to declare its intention to help the victims."</ref> In August 1968, the [[Israeli Air Force]] overtly sent twelve tons of food aid to a nearby site outside of Nigerian (Biafran) airspace. Covertly, Mossad provided Biafra with $100,000 (through Zurich) and attempted an arms shipment. Soon after, Israel arranged to make clandestine weapons shipments to Biafra using Ivory Coast transport planes.<ref>Levey, "Israel, Nigeria and the Biafra civil war" (2014), pp. 271–272.</ref><ref>[https://unitedwithisrael.org/biafran-airlift-israels-secret-mission-to-save-lives/ "Biafran Airlift: Israel's Secret Mission to Save Lives"]. Eitan Press. ''United With Israel. www.unitedwithisrael.org''. 13 October 2013. Accessed 13 January 2017.</ref> The nations of sub-Saharan Africa tended to support the Arabs in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute by voting for resolutions sponsored by Arab states at the United Nations. A [[Alliance of the periphery|major goal]] of Israeli diplomacy was to wean the African states away from the Arab states and given the way that the majority of African nations supported Nigeria, Israel was loath to antagonise them by supporting Biafra too overtly.{{sfn|Stremlau|2015|p=236}}