Editing Jacobo Timerman (section)

====Israel====
The reluctance of the Jewish establishment in Argentina to defend Timerman added to Israel's difficulties in choosing a way to respond to the political crisis in the country. As an Israeli ambassador wrote after the fact, "the leaders are offended because Timmerman is accusing them of behaving like the ''[[Judenrat]]'', and the publication of the announcement [of an award] seems to lend credence to an accusation of this kind, so they do not like it at all".<ref name="Rein 2010 p. 15">Rein & Davidi, "Exile of the World" (2010), p. 15.</ref>

The Israeli government maintained diplomatic ties and arms sales to the Argentine regime during this period, despite the Carter Administration's end to US weapons transfers under the Kennedy-Humphrey Amendment.<ref name="Kennedy-Humphrey Amendment">{{Cite web|url=https://www.intelligence.gov/argentina/history|title=INTEL - Argentina Declassification Project: History}}</ref> Appeals from the Argentine Jewish community, which was disproportionately targeted in the [[Dirty War]], were generally ignored by the Israeli government. The [[Knesset]] prohibited discussion on this topic.<ref>Rein & Davidi, "Exile of the World" (2010), pp. 6–8. "The State of Israel maintained close relations with the military dictatorship in Argentina. Despite the antisemitic attitudes of the junta, relations between the two countries flourished in those days, first during the government of Labour Party leaders [[Yitzhak Rabin]] and subsequently under the administration of [[Menachem Begin]] and the [[Likud Party]] [...]</ref>

Yet Timerman's high-profile arrest, particularly in light of his known Zionist affiliations, elicited a diplomatic response from Israel. According to historian Raanan Rein and journalist Efraim Davidi, 
<blockquote>"Israel's official policy can be described as an effort to show the junta that it had committed a serious error in arresting the journalist but to avoid rousing international public opinion against the regime and, even more important, to avoid attributing antisemitic proclivities to the leaders of the dictatorship."<ref name="Rein 2010 pp. 9">Rein & Davidi, "Exile of the World" (2010), pp. 9–11.</ref></blockquote> The Israeli government secretly pressured Argentina to free Timerman, but did not make public demands as it did on behalf of Jews in the Soviet Union.<ref name="Rein 2010 pp. 9"/>

[[Yishayahu Anug]], director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, wrote: 
<blockquote>"I would say not that Timerman is crucial for us but rather that we are crucial for his release. It is not an emotional issue but one of cool judgment. The formula consists in creating the sense that his release is vital for Argentina's image and also for Israel and the positive development of our relations with them."<ref>Rein & Davidi, "Exile of the World" (2010), p. 12.</ref></blockquote>As part of this approach, Israeli diplomats sought to downplay press coverage of Timerman's imprisonment.

According to a 2001 account by Timerman's son [[Héctor Timerman|Héctor]], Israeli Ambassador [[Ram Nirgad]] and the American-Argentine rabbi [[Marshall Meyer]] visited the Timerman house. Nirgad asked Timerman to sign a letter saying that he was well treated and had no problems with the government. The journalist refused and said he'd rather remain in detention.<ref name=HT2001>[[Héctor Timerman]], ”Israel, la dictadura y los consejos de Avivi", ''[[Pagina/12]]'', 3 July 2001.</ref><ref>Rein & Davidi, "Exile of the World" (2010), p. 16.</ref>

After the failure of Nirgad's initial efforts to achieve Timerman's release, through conversations with Videla and others, Israel sought to add pressure by proxy. Anug's new plan solicited the quiet assistance of anti-communist diplomats and authors in other nations. Not much progress had been made before Timerman was released in 1979.<ref>Rein & Davidi, "Exile of the World" (2010), p. 13. “A letter sent by Anug on January 10, 1978, to the ambassadors emphasized that they should not accuse the junta of having adopted antisemitic positions, involve leftists in this activity, or join the international campaign against the Argentine dictatorship. They should act discreetly, at most publishing personal columns in major dailies. The plan did not achieve the desired results.”</ref>