Soviet pro-Arab propaganda describes a campaign of Soviet propaganda initiated as a means of developing support from the Arab nations in the Middle East which would commonly involve expressing contempt for the actions of Israel and the United States. Background As early as the 1920s and 1930s, the All-Union Communist Party Congress discussed solutions to dealing with the pan-movements—including pan-Arabism, pan-Islamism and pan-Turkism. The Soviet Union saw all of the pan-movements as a problem. Islam was seen in a negative light as the Soviets saw all other religions, but a tactical approach had to be taken with Islam due to the relationship that was to develop between the Middle East and the Soviet Union. While there was a string of Soviet anti-Islamic propaganda, there was also an attempt at understanding Islam on an ideological level. Pan-Arabism was the least important of the movements during the period, but it had the most potential for growth and support in the future. This understanding would help the Soviets to realize the need to support the pan-Arab movement, especially when it came to developing relations with Egypt and Palestine. The Soviet Union began to develop interest in the Middle East in the early-1950s, intensifying after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953. Evidence points to the fact that the Soviet Union developed an interest in the Middle East because of American efforts forge alliances within the region. The prestige in which the Soviet's gained the title as protectors against Western imperialism happened during the period of the Suez Canal Crisis. Many nations in the Middle East strengthened their diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. There were several reasons that developing pro-Arab propaganda was important for the Soviet Union and creating an Arab alliance, including: The weakness that could develop if the United States had strong alliances in the Middle East, especially in the Northern Tier (Afghanistan and Pakistan). To further demonize the United States and Israel as well as to create a split between all imperialist countries with Middle Eastern countries (especially Egypt). To spread communist ideals into other regions of the world. Propaganda operations Palestinian Liberation Organization Pro-Palestine propaganda was produced by the Soviets through print journalism and radio. A campaign began in 1968 in the media for a partisan struggle against the occupier (Israel). The Soviet Union discreetly showed that they were in support of violence, providing justification for future violence by the organization.