Interview with Eva Taterová, Czechoslovak Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (1948-1989), GAČR-funded project

Andrea Talabér: Before we dive into your project, Czechoslovak Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict in the years 1948-1989, could you say a few words about your academic background?

Eva Taterová: I am currently a researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History, part of the Czech Academy of Sciences, a leading research institution in the Czech Republic. I hold a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University, Czech Republic, and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Throughout my academic career, I have had the privilege of participating in several fellowships and short-term academic visits abroad. The most significant of these include the Frank A. Belousek Fellowship at the Department of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA; the Visegrad Fund Fellowship at the Open Society Archives in Budapest, Hungary; and Erasmus guest teaching positions at the University of Amman, Jordan Bar-Ilan University, Israel and Aydin University, Turkey; among others.

My research interests include Czechoslovak foreign policy and diplomacy during the Cold War, the history and politics of the modern Middle East, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Czech-Israeli relations, and anti-Semitism in Central Europe.

AT: In your project you explore the Arab-Israeli conflict from the perspective of Czechoslovak diplomacy towards the actors in the conflict between 1948 and 1989, arguing that the country’s role has thus far been downplayed. What exactly was the role of Czechoslovak diplomacy here?

ET: During the Cold War, Czechoslovakia was one of the most active Soviet satellite states in the Middle East, engaging extensively in areas such as the economy, technology transfer, culture, education, and, notably, military cooperation with selected actors in the region. However, the partners for cooperation shifted over time. In the late 1940s, Czechoslovakia actively supported the establishment of the State of Israel. Despite the initial hopes of the Eastern Bloc, it became apparent by the early 1950s that the Jewish state would not start a transition into a communist regime. This realization prompted a shift in the stance of the Eastern Bloc, including Czechoslovakia, which began to collaborate with the Arab side of the conflict. Initially, a close partnership was formed between Czechoslovakia and Egypt, which was subsequently replaced by a strong alliance with Syria and some Palestinian groups.

AT: Why do you think it has been downplayed so far?

ET: So far, most of the research on the role of the East bloc in the Middle East in general and in particular in the Arab-Israeli conflict has focused on the role of the Soviet Union. This obviously makes a lot of sense because the Soviet Union, as one of the global superpowers, apparently played the most important role and its satellites were somehow following the general Soviet attitudes and strategies in the ongoing Cold War rivalry with the USA also in the battlefield of the Middle East. However, the role of the satellites is also very important as they quite often served as the intermediaries of the Soviet Union in local, potentially sensitive affairs and even developed their own projects of cooperation in the Middle East. At the same time, there is also the important role of the archives in the former Soviet satellite countries, which can not only shed new light on certain historical events but can also serve as a substitute for the Soviet sources as the Russian archives are not easily accessible to western researchers due to the hostile attitude of the current Russian regime.

AT: Of course, between 1948 and 1989 Czechoslovakia was under the influence of the Soviet Union. How could Czechoslovakia manoeuvre its own positions? How much say did the Soviet Union have in Czechoslovak diplomatic relations?

ET: In the domain of foreign policy, the Soviet leadership clearly articulated an official discourse that was communicated to its satellite states, defining the distinctions between allies and adversaries. However, cooperation with the newly decolonized nations of the so-called Third World presented numerous opportunities for the active engagement of the satellites. In the context of the Cold War in the Middle East, Czechoslovakia did not possess the autonomy to select its allies freely; however, it did retain a degree of independence regarding the scope and nature of its collaborative efforts. This included the ability to pursue various projects quite independently, particularly in areas considered lower political priorities, such as education, culture, and certain economic initiatives focused on technology transfer.

AT: Czechoslovak diplomacy played an intermediary role in the Arab-Israeli conflict for the whole Eastern bloc. What was this role?

ET: In the early years of the Cold War, Czechoslovakia was among the few Eastern European countries that had already established a network of contacts in the Middle East dating back to the interwar period. This network was politically significant, as one of the Eastern Bloc’s primary ideological objectives at the time was to disseminate communist ideology to the newly decolonized nations in the Middle East. Moreover, in certain potentially sensitive political situations, the Soviet Union sometimes preferred to utilize its satellite states as intermediaries rather than act independently and risk international criticism. In this capacity, Czechoslovakia occasionally served as an intermediary.

In 1948, Czechoslovak military aid played a crucial role in the establishment of the State of Israel, as the country provided weapons, ammunition, and military training to Jewish volunteers, despite an existing United Nations embargo. Just a few years later, in 1955, following the deterioration of relations between Israel and the Eastern Bloc, Czechoslovakia entered into a close military cooperation with Egypt under the leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser. This historical contract not only contributed to the Suez Crisis the following year but also established an important precedent for future arms deals between Czechoslovakia and other Arab countries, including Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

AT: Your research project takes on the historiographic and methodological premises of the New Cold War History approach. How does this approach to Cold War history differ from previous approaches?

ET: While the traditional paradigm of Cold War studies has primarily focused on the interactions between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve at least a partial understanding of global political dynamics, the roles of the satellite states of both superpowers, as well as the countries of the Third World, non-state actors, culture, and other previously underexplored phenomena, have often been undervalued and underestimated. However, these perspectives on the Cold War have gradually evolved with the emergence of the so-called New Cold War History, conceptualized by Odd Arne Westad in his book Reviewing the Cold War: Approaches, Interpretations, Theory (2000). This approach is now widely recognized as one of the significant historiographical trends in Cold War studies. The New Cold War History encompasses various methodologies, sources, and research topics, thereby broadening perspectives on Cold War dynamics. 

AT: Can you share some of your findings with our readers?

ET: I have already reviewed thousands of archival documents, primarily from Czech archives, supplemented by sources from Great Britain, France, Israel, and the United States. These sources provide detailed insights into the diverse forms of Czechoslovak engagement in the Middle East during the Cold War, including serious issues such as the personal observations of diplomats regarding local conflicts that sometimes even placed them in life-threatening situations. For instance, the Czechoslovak embassy in Beirut was subjected to repeated bombings during the Lebanese Civil War. Additionally, the archives contain numerous smaller narratives, such as photographs and reports documenting informal interactions with local individuals, ranging from influential politicians to ordinary citizens in the streets, which makes the research very colorful. 

One of my findings indicates that, although Czechoslovakia officially advocated for the export of communist ideology to the Middle East, its foreign policy priorities were, in reality, highly pragmatic, leading to a significant dichotomy. Moreover, while Czechoslovak engagement in the region was undoubtedly a component of the Cold War competition for influence in the Middle East, it also led to meaningful economic, educational, scientific, and cultural exchanges. This engagement not only enhanced Czechoslovakia’s reputation in the Arab world but also contributed to a greater awareness and understanding of the geographically distant Middle East among the Czechoslovak population.

AT: Where can people read more about your findings?

ET: I recently published an article titled “Czechoslovak Diplomatic Dilemmas Regarding the Adolf Eichmann Trial” (2024) in the journal of Middle Eastern Studies. Additionally, I published “The Contribution of Czechoslovakia to the Creation of the Independent State of Israel” in the Slovak Journal of Political Science (2023), as well as “Czechoslovak-Egyptian Relations at the Onset of the Cold War: The Path to a Pragmatic Partnership” (2022) in Asian and African Studies. Currently, I am summarizing my research findings into a book on Czechoslovak diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict between 1948 and 1989, which is expected to be published in about two years.

AT: Your project is funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR). For our Czech readers (or anyone else applying for these grants), what advice would you give for their application?

ET: My best advice is to approach the preparation process with patience and sufficient time. Although the grant application for the Czech Science Foundation is not as lengthy as some other grant calls, it still requires considerable paperwork and, most importantly, a well-defined and concise research proposal. A valuable part of my own preparation was attending the seminars organized by the Czech Science Foundation and the Czech Academy of Sciences, which covered key aspects such as formal requirements, effective project language, and budget planning. I am also very appreciative of the constructive feedback from colleagues who reviewed the initial drafts of my proposal.

What is particularly important is to select a new research topic with significant social relevance, as such topics have a stronger likelihood of being funded. While my research focuses on Cold War history, there are numerous important connections to the present. A solid understanding of history is essential for understanding current challenges, particularly in a region as complex and troubled as the Middle East.