USD Magazine, Winter 2002

The United Scates government soon found its permanent foothold in the region - Israel. When Zionists began pressing for a Jewish homeland in Palestine late in the 19th century, they found a receptive audience in the Un ited Scates. By the time David Ben Gurion announced the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, support of the new Jewish homeland was not only

USD's ROTC unit was ordered by the Pentagon to operate under the highest state of security.

politically popular, but also represented che opportunity to help establish a crucial client-state. Literally from the beginning, when the United States gave full diplomatic recognition to Israel 11 minutes after Ben Gurion's announcement, its support of Israel - militarily, economically and politically - has been unwavenng.

"It's an overstatement to say that oil is the only reason for the United States

involvement in the Middle East, but it is certainly a key one." -USO Professor John Stoessinger

"In 1948, when the horrors of the Holocaust became known, there was a sense of moral obligation in the U.S. to help che Jews find a homeland," says Kathryn Stader, a USD history professor. "But there was also the political reality chat we needed Israel almost as much as Israel needed us, so we could counter the Arab and Soviet presence, and by extension, protect our oil interests." The American business and military concerns in the Middle East were an affront to many in the Arab world, who likened the interventions to The Crusades of the Middle Ages, when Christians persecuted Muslims. The Iran hostage crisis of 1979

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WINTER 2002