The Great Escape: How Israeli Ships Outsmarted an Arms Embargo

The Yom Kippur War, which took place 51 years ago, is remembered vividly by our people as a brutal conflict where victory was achieved through blood, sweat, and tears. However, not everyone recalls that in one arena, Israel secured a decisive victory right from the onset of the war: the naval front.

At the beginning of the war, Israeli missile boats stood out against enemy vessels from Egypt and Syria. Ten enemy missile boats were sunk early in the war, followed by countless other torpedo and patrol boats. The Israeli Navy established dominance across the Middle East, facilitating the safe passage of American arms shipments by sea.

These American arms shipments significantly contributed to the success of ground forces and were a miracle in themselves, as they were dispatched at the decision of American generals, contrary to orders from the top brass. But there was an even more profound miracle, as Israel's missile boats arrived through a special operation marked by divine providence, allowing Israel to outsmart its enemies.

In 1965, Israel signed an agreement with France for the production of modern missile boats for the navy. The boats started being produced at the Cherbourg shipyards, but before their completion, the Six-Day War broke out. President Charles de Gaulle declared an arms embargo on "countries involved in the war," thinking he was sealing Israel's fate. However, the Protector of Israel had other plans: Israel won the war by the grace of the heavens, without French assistance. The boats remained in France.

Biny Talem, head of the delegation handling the boats and later the Israeli Navy's commander, devised a complex operation to release the ships. He named it "Operation Noah," after his daughter. Initially, Israel announced that it was surrendering its claim to the boats. A Norwegian shipping magnate, Martin Siem, offered to buy them from France for oil exploration at sea. The boats were now "Siem's," but any voyage would attract French scrutiny. Siem mingled in Cherbourg's social circles, spreading supposedly secret plans of extensive oil exploration in Norway and Alaska, keeping authorities out of the loop.

In December 1969, during the Christian New Year preparations, the French grew accustomed to the loud noises from the harbor ships each night for weeks. Maintenance workers reported to local police that the severe cold caused engines to freeze, requiring overnight operation. However, that night, immediately after engines were started, the ships left port—unlit, unflagged, in total darkness.

The path to Israel stretched 5,700 kilometers, and the ships needed refueling somewhere. But the French, awakening to an empty harbor, alerted all European ports to stop the ships for questioning—were they truly seeking oil in Norway, or were they Israel-bound? Days passed, and no ship stopped for fuel. Special ZIM company ships met and refueled them at sea. The vessels were disguised to prevent aerial reconnaissance from detecting the 200,000 liters of fuel on board. The first refueling occurred near Gibraltar, where the ship "Leah" awaited. The second stop was offshore Malta, with the ship "Dan." Fuel was taken from "Paz" stations throughout the country...

After a week of radar evasion, deceptive maneuvers, diplomatic missions, and combat against sea storms and unexpected malfunctions, the ships reached Haifa's Kishon Port. Air Force planes patrolled overhead to prevent sudden encounters, as the ships and their journey had already been noted by the Soviets and Egyptians. Thus, the Cherbourg boats were absorbed into the Israeli Navy and contributed to saving the people of Israel from their enemies.