How can the Soviet switch on policy towards Israel be explained?

Question

The USSR, together with USA and Britain, were among the original sponsors of the creation of Israel. There are quotes from Soviet leaders where they describe even the racist terrorists of the Stern Gang as "freedom fighters." Within a few years, though, the Soviets made a complete 180-degree turn, and besides attacking Israel, attacked even principled Jewish leftists who were anti-zionist, embracing the crudest of racist anti-Semitic stereotypes. I am under no illusion that the USSR’s politics were based on any principles. Whether you agree with Marxism or not, it IS a system of principles, and as far as I am concerned they abandoned it in the 1920s. So how to explain this switch? Their politicians may have been unprincipled, but they weren’t stupid. How can the turnabout be explained? What did they hope to gain? One book I read ascribed the change to "Arab oil," but the USSR was itself the world's biggest oil-producing nation for most of its history.
What reasons could there be?

Good point, John. Soviet support of Israel may have been one of the casualties of the beginning of the "Cold War."

Answer 1

I think the simple answer boils down to "what's in it for me?" What did Israel have to offer? Who were Israel's other friends? other enemies? Don't forget "the enemy of my enemy is my friend (for now)."

Answer 2

I agree with John with the "whats in it for me" idea also the Russians are anti Semitic there was all the Refuseniks Jewish people that were not permitted to leave Russia then they decided to let them go on-mass and Israel imported themselves a lot of gangsters who claim they had a grandparent who were Jewish to enable them to get out of the USSR and then they were able to used Israel as a stepping stone to the West.
The earlier Jewish Russian's had to escape from the attacks from the Cossacks, which resulted with a lot of Jews arriving in America and the UK among other places, The one that went to Germany and Poland didn't fare to well.
The Arab Nations have been a good customer for Russia who supplies them with weapons.

Answer 3

They thought Israel would be a potential ally, but Israel chose to side with the West instead while the Arab and muslim countries sided with the Soviets.