1.7 The Birth of Israel

The Cold War also shaped American policy in the Middle East. After World War II, many Jews who had survived Nazi concentration camps resettled in British-controlled Palestine. In 1947, the British, weakened by World War II, turned over control of Palestine to the United Nations, which voted to partition the region into separate Jewish and Arab states. Violence between Arabs and Jews escalated as each side tried to maximize their territorial position in advance of the British partition.

President Truman’s military advisors feared recognition of the Jewish state of Israel would anger Arab oil-producing nations. Other factors weighed in Truman’s mind. Since Stalin had already announced his support of Israel, Truman worried about the possibility of a close Soviet-Israel relationship that would exclude the United States. On an emotional level, the president empathized with the suffering of Jews during World War II. Political considerations supported recognition. “In all of my political experience,” Truman during the campaign of 1948, “I don’t ever recall the Arab vote swinging a close election.”

On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. Eleven minutes later, the United States recognized the new state. Less than a week later, five Arab neighbors invaded Israel, which beat back the attack and expanded its control over territory designated for the Palestinian Arab State. Jordan and Egypt occupied the other parts of the territory. Over half the Palestinian population fled or were expelled. Between 600,000 and 700,000 Palestinians became refugees, forced to live in squalid conditions in the West Bank and along the Gaza Strip. The “Palestinian Issue” would remain a source of anger and frustration in the Middle East for years to come.