The Korean War was a conflict that began in 1950, involving North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the United Nations, primarily the United States). During this period, the [[United States]] was preoccupied with the war, as well as economic and social conditions in Europe, and the political battle with the [[Soviet Union]].[^1] [[Israel]] publicly supported the American position in the Korean War. [[David Ben-Gurion]] even secretly offered to send Israeli troops to fight alongside the [[United Nations]] forces in South Korea, but President [[Harry S. Truman]] declined the offer, reportedly fearing it would lead to a security arrangement with [[Israel]]. Israel's stance on the Korean War, however, angered [[Moscow]] and led to a rupture in diplomatic relations between the two nations.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2.