US Support for Israel before 1967

I've seen it argued that before the 1973 war, or before the 1967 war the United States was neutral on the issue of Zionism and did not begin really supporting Israel until after whichever event is being claimed.

The point of this argument when it is made is that Egypt mysteriously but spontaneously joined with the communist USSR, and US support for Israel was a response to that - meaning US support for Israel had nothing to do with Egypt, leaning towards the Soviets but after Egypt leaned in that direction, Israel was a valuable ally in holding Egypt in check.

Kind of like coming across someone arguing that two plus two is five, my response is do you really believe that? Is it even worth it to argue? You believe it because you want to believe it. You're still going to want to believe it regardless of anything I say. Just in case though.

The Jewish Virtual Library has a speech by Nasser written before the 1967 war. Notable, in this speech to Egyptian trade unionists, his justification for partnering with the USSR mentions nothing about workers or proletariat. Speaking before Egyptian trade unionists before the 1967 war, Nasser has one and only one good thing to say about the Soviet Union, it supported the Arabs against aggression from Israel, France and Britain.

The United States, according to Nasser, was already synonymous with Israel as was the West.

We must know and learn a big lesson today. We must actually see that, in its hypocrisy and in its talks with the Arabs, the United States sides with Israel 100 per cent and is partial in favour of Israel. Why is Britain biased towards Israel? The West is on Israel's side. General de Gaulle's personality caused him to remain impartial on this question and not to toe the US or the British line; France therefore did not take sides with Israel.

The Soviet Union's attitude was great and splendid. It supported the Arabs and the Arab nation. It went to the extent of stating that, together with the Arabs and the Arab nation, it would resist any interference or aggression.

Today every Arab knows foes and friends. If we do not learn who our enemies and our friends are, Israel will always be able to benefit from this behaviour. It is clear that the United States is an enemy of the Arabs because it is completely biased in favour of Israel. It is also clear that Britain is an enemy of the Arabs because she, too, is completely biased in favour of Israel. On this basis we must treat our enemies and those who side with our enemies as actual enemies. We can accord them such treatment. In fact we are not States without status. We are States of status occupying an important place in the world. Our States have thousands of years of civilization behind them -7,000 years of civilization. Indeed, we can do much; we can expose the hypocrisy - the hypocrisy of our enemies if they try to persuade us that they wish to serve our interest. The United States seeks to serve only Israel's interests. Britain also seeks to serve only Israel's interests.

I've seen a poll that in 1947 or 48, 28 or so percent of US respondents favored the Jewish side of the conflict over Zionism and about half that supported the Arabs.

US support for Israel has been consistent since Israel's foundation, and it that support has made non-Jews in the region more prone to oppose the US since then. US support has increased but there is no date before which it is honest to say the US was neutral or that the US did not pay a cost for its support of Israel in the form of either antagonism or weaker alliances with everyone else in the region.