---
born: 1908-08-27
category: World War II & Nazi Era
died: 1973-01-22
location: Stonewall, Texas
summary: Johnson's ties to Israel were strong, influenced by his close advisers like
  Abe Fortas and Edwin L.
tags:
- Person
- WW2
- Nazi
---

Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the [United States](/places/united-states/), serving from 1963 to 1969. He was initially left in the dark on sensitive national security issues by President [John F. Kennedy](/people/john-f-kennedy/) and his top aides, and reportedly went "berserk" upon being briefed in by the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) after Kennedy's assassination.[^1]

Johnson's ties to [Israel](/places/israel/) were strong, influenced by his close advisers like Abe Fortas and Edwin L. Weisl, Sr., and his knowledge of [Abraham Feinberg](/people/abraham-feinberg/)'s fundraising skills. A deeper link stemmed from his visit to the Nazi concentration camp at [Dachau](/places/dachau/) at the end of World War II, which left him profoundly shaken. His sensitivity to the plight of European Jews began even before the war, when as a young congressman, he helped German refugees gain asylum in America, circumventing red tape and preventing deportations.[^1]

Johnson's strong emotional ties to [Israel](/places/israel/) and his belief that Soviet arms were altering the balance of power in the Middle East drove him to become the first American President to supply [Israel](/places/israel/) with offensive weapons and the first publicly to commit America to its defense. In the early years of his presidency, he echoed Kennedy's policy by urging [Israel](/places/israel/) to submit [Dimona](/places/dimona/) to [IAEA](/organizations/international-atomic-energy-agency/) inspection, motivated by his belief that a nuclear [Israel](/places/israel/) could lead to a nuclear [Egypt](/places/egypt/), increased Soviet involvement, and potentially war.[^1]

[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 9.