“The Only Thorn”: Early Saudi-American Relations and the Question of Palestine, 1945–1949*
An earlier version of part of this article was presented at the 2008 SHAFR meeting. I am deeply grateful to Lotfi Ben Rejeb, Walter Hixson, Galen Perras, Ryme Seferdjeli, Serge Durflinger, Matthew Jacobs, Chapin Li Rydingsward, Jacob Hogan, Kathryn Magee, Robert Schulzinger, and Brandon Kirk Williams, as well as Diplomatic History's anonymous readers for their constructive suggestions and guidance. This research could also not have been accomplished without generous financial assistance from the University of Ottawa and the Harry S. Truman Library Institute. Last but not least, I must express my gratitude to family and friends for their patience and unconditional support.
Abstract
Immediately following World War II, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia obtained primacy in American eyes, as it became strategically and economically vital to U.S. national security. Likewise, American protection from external peril became primordial to Saudi Arabia. The Arab-Israeli conflict, however, threatened to disrupt the nascent Saudi-American symbiosis. From Harry S. Truman's arrival to the American presidency in 1945 through to the immediate aftermath of the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948–49, the controversial topic of Palestine was a source of multiple discussions and played an integral part in the consolidation of Saudi-American relations. By emphasizing the influence of inter-Arab rivalry on the global politics surrounding Palestine, this article illuminates the reasons, as well as the ways in which early Saudi-American relations persevered through challenging times. It also highlights how Saudi Arabia shaped official U.S. deliberations during the initial days of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
