Cite: Ben-Gurion and the Soviet Union’s Involvement in the Jewish State

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Mintz, Matityahu. "Ben-Gurion and the Soviet Union’s Involvement in the Effort to Establish a Jewish State in Palestine." Journal of Israeli History 26,1 (2007): 67-78.

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Although the fourth volume of Shabtai Teveth’s biography of David Ben-Gurion presents a comprehensive and detailed description of his activities in the years 1942-46, it has omitted a fascinating aspect, which this article wishes to address: the contacts between Ben-Gurion and Soviet officials on the efforts to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. On the basis of documents in the Soviet and Israeli archives, the article challenges conventional explanations for Soviet support in 1947 for the partition of Palestine and subsequent recognition of the young state of Israel. It argues that the Soviets were less interested in imperialistic designs on the Middle East than in preventing the return of Jews to the USSR and its satellites after the war. Ben-Gurion knew as much but, for a variety of political considerations, kept silent.

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Keywords: Israel and USSR Relations, David Ben-Gurion, Zionism: State establishment, Zionism: Diplomacy, UN Resolution 181, 1947 Partition Plan, Matityahu Minz, מתתיהו מינץ

URL: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a773630827