Oil Crisis of the 1970s and the Impact on Foreign Policy
On May 14, 1948, President Truman made a decision that would effect United States foreign policy to this day when he recognized the Jewish state of Israel, despite the fact that one Saudi Arabian leader had threatened that if Israel was to be created, the Arabs would ?lay siege to it until it died of famine.? Truman recognized Israel to keep potential Soviet influence out of the state. By recognizing Israel, America strained its relationship with the oil-rich OPEC nations in the Middle East. On October 6, 1973 (on the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur), the Syrians and the Egyptians launched a surprise attack on Israel to recover the lands that they had lost in the Six-Day War of 1967.