Clendor

But an Eastern-bloc Israel could be a very nice alt-history TL.

Qutuz

The reason it didn't is because it was created as a British outpost, and later as the U.S took over the neo-colonialist responsibilities of the region, it remained the strategic outpost that it was established as.

As for the surrounding states, given they are Arabs, majority Muslim, it's highly unlikely an atheist ideology would ever float there.

It did take hold amongst the Kurds & Palestinians for a period, but I think that was just because they were both willing to put their trust in anyone who might help them get their states that were cheated from them during the colonial carve up.

AlpinLuke

Never, in reality.

We can see two steps in the politics run by Moscow towards Middle East.

First step: until UK presence there was still a trouble, USSR considered Israel like the Arab states ... problems for UK power in the are to "feed".

Second step: after UK left the area USSR had to manage with US influence. at that point Israel, because of the pro US majority in the international Jewish community backing the Jewish state, was in the side of the West, so it was no more a potential ally for Moscow.

XBulletGuruX

Not really, and when Stalin realised that he stopped being supportive of Israel