Editor, Gazette-Journal:

There is a short story many Washingtonians know about which has changed the destinies of Israelis living in the Middle East. It happened one day in the 1970s: The specific time was Oct. 6, 1973, in Israel.

The Arab-Israeli conflict was at its peak. And a coordinated surprise attack was scheduled to take place on Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar. Israel was in trouble … 180 Israeli tanks faced over 1,400 Syrian tanks, close to the Suez Canal. And a mere 436 Israeli infantry were poised to fight over 80,000 Egyptian soldiers, backed by the Soviet Union.

Once again, Israel trembled. Mrs. Golda Meir was Israel’s prime minister at that time. She steadfastly made an urgent call to Washington. Then-President Richard Nixon picked up the phone to a tearful Mrs. Meir. She pleadingly asked him: “Will you help us?” And Mr. Nixon was known to have said words similar to these: “I will definitely help you … be...