The United States’ active participation in the issues pertaining to the Middle East is influenced by a number of factors and interests it has in the region. The United uses its power in safeguarding its interests and the interests of its allies in the region. Some of these interests are antagonistic like the interest in the Middle East oil and the need to maintain the security of Israel. The United States’ interests in the region, especially regarding protection of Israel from Arab attack has at the end created both friends and enemies in the region. The Zionist movement was born after Hitler exterminated a larger portion of the European Jews during the holocaust era. At this time, the American support for the Jews had waned and this led to the consistent lobbying by the American Jews for support. In 1944, President Roosevelt announced his acceptance and support of the Jews in their quest for a free Israel. This was further enhanced by the aftermath of World War II when most of the holocaust survivors were concentrated in camps within Europe calling for a need for a free Israel. The British government through the Truman administration placed a lot of pressure on the United Nations, which later proposed the creation of Jewish and Arab states within Palestine. The economic pressure from the United States compelled Britain to comply with the proposal for an independent Israel. Notably, there was strong opposition to this proposal from certain circles of the US administration, including the Secretaries of defense and state. After the May 14 declaration of Israel establishment, the British forces started withdrawing from the region .
Works Cited
Fraser, George. The USA and the Middle East since World War 2. New York: Macmillan Press, 2009.
Lobe, Jim. "U.S and Israeli Goverments Out Of Step with Public According to the New Polls." Foreign Policy in Focus (2002): 23.
