Okay so my basic understanding is that Jews living in Europe wanted their own state and the only serious option being put forward was Crimea. Crimea was essential to USSR military and the biggest voices advocating for it were killed/deported. Crimea was not an option, but the majority of Jews still remained in Eastern Europe.
After living through the Holocaust, Stalin worried that Eastern Europe would remain a tinder box of ethnic nationalism and thought the best idea was moving them to another place outside the Soviet Union. Palestine made the most sense at the time because it is the area westerners wanted and it was outside Stalin sphere of influence.
Edit: Stalins number one goals from 1945 till his death was rebuilding the Soviet Union and keeping peace with the west until strength was rebuilt.
Okay so my basic understanding is that Jews living in Europe wanted their own state and the only serious option being put forward was Crimea. Crimea was essential to USSR military and the biggest voices advocating for it were killed/deported. Crimea was not an option, but the majority of Jews still remained in Eastern Europe.
After living through the Holocaust, Stalin worried that Eastern Europe would remain a tinder box of ethnic nationalism and thought the best idea was moving them to another place outside the Soviet Union. Palestine made the most sense at the time because it is the area westerners wanted and it was outside Stalin sphere of influence.
Edit: Stalins number one goals from 1945 till his death was rebuilding the Soviet Union and keeping peace with the west until strength was rebuilt.