US+position+and+why+it+arrived+at+this

The US, namely Truman, favored the UNSCOP plan (Jews get 56% of land, Arabs get 43%). It has been speculated that Truman took this position to help his political agenda at home. He needed to show the Jews support internationally so he would receive their votes in the US. Truman did not have the full support from the nation or the State Department, which had a more Pro-Arab attitude because they did not want Arabs to turn to the USSR. Truman reacted saying he had never felt so much pressure than from the Jews on the issue of Palestine, but this cannot be used as an excuse because all executive feel pressure. Truman even felt pressure from inside the White House from one of his political consultants, David Niles, who was a Jew and a Zionist.

Besides domestic political pressures, Truman was concerned about the spread of Soviet influence into the Middle East. For this reason, the State Department warned him not to defend a Jewish state as it could push the Arabs "into the arms of the Soviets". This would potentially lead to a war over oil in the Middle East that the US relies on (US owns 42% of oil). Truman, however, believed that the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine would lead to the development of a new democratic foothold in the Middle East and that the help of the US would put them in a clear leadership position.