Decision on Palestine: How the U.S. Came to Recognize Israel

262 Pages·1979·5.025 MB·English

by  Evan M. Wilson

DECISION on
PALESTINE

DECISION on
PALESTINE
How the U.S. Came to
Recognize Israel
EVAN M. WILSON
HOOVER INSTITUTION PRESS
Stanford University, Stanford, California
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, founded at
Stanford University in 1919 by the late President Herbert Hoover,
is an interdisciplinary research center for advanced study on
domestic and international affairs in the twentieth century. The views
expressed in its publications are entirely those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, officers,
or Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution.
Hoover Institution Publication 218
© 1979 by "the Board of Trustees of the
Leland Stanford Junior University
All rights reserved
International Standard Book Number: 0-8179-7181-5
Libraty of Congress Catalog Card Number: 78-59867
Printed in the United Sûtes of America
Designed by Elizabeth Gehman
To Ambassador Richard B. Barker,; who inspired
me to undertake this project; and to all of my
colleagues in the old Near East Division of the State
Department, who encouraged me to complete it—

Contents
Illustrations ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xvii
CHAPTERS
Introduction: The Setting and the Cast of Characters I
1 The Biltmore Program Calls for a Jewish State 23
2 The United States Finds a Policy 29
P Palestine Becomes a Political Issue 40
Roosevelt’s Last Months 48
B President Truman and the 100.000 Jews 57
6 The Abortive Attempt at Anglo-American Cooperation 68
7 “Bridging the Gap”: London Conference Breaks Down 96
% Palestine before the United Nations 107
v) The State of Israel Is Born 129
Epilogue 151
PHOTOGRAPHS 159
APPENDIXES 167
A Order (No. 21) Establishing the Department of State
Division of Near Eastern Affairs 169
B Responsibilities of the Near East Division 170
^ Extracts from Theodor Herzl’s Der Judenstaat. 1896 171
ÏT Program of the First World Zionist Congress. Basle. August
1897 172
E The Balfour Declaration 173
F The Zionist (Biltmore) Program May II. 1942 174
Cm Statement for Issuance by the Governments of the United
^ States and the United Kingdom Regarding Palestine 176
H Proposed Congressional Resolutions (1944) 177
I President Roosevelt to Senator Robert F. Wagner 178
J Palestine (A Summary) 179
vin / Contents
President Roosevelt’s Letter to King Ibn Saud. April 5,
1945 180
Declaration of the Establishment' of the State of Israel,
May 14. 1948 181
The Agent of the Provisional Government of Israel
(Epstein) toP resident Truman 184
Notes 185
Bibliography 227
Index 235
Illustrations
Following page 159
The Old State Department Building
President Roosevelt and King Ibn Saud aboard the cruiser Quincy,
February 14, 1945
Chaim Weizmann testifying before the Anglo-American Committee of
Inquiry in Jerusalem. March 1946
A session of the UN Special Committee on Palestine in Jerusalem, June
1947
Syrian irregulars of the Arab Liberation Army on guard in northern
Palestine. April 1948
Haganah recruits drilling openly near Tel Aviv before the end of the
British Mandate
Damage caused at the headquarters of the Jewish Agency, March 1948
David Ben-Gurion reading the proclamation of Israel’s independence at
the Tel Aviv Art Museum, May 14, 1948
The Union Jack is lowered for the last time in Palestine
President Truman with Clark ClifTord, William Hassett, Matthew
Connelly, and Charles G. Ross
Original draft of the White House statement for the press announcing
recognition of Israel
Secretary Marshall’s letter to Eliahu Epstein announcing U.S. recognition
of the new state of Israel
HAPS
Palestine, 1942-48 {frontispiece)
Palestine. UN plan of partition, 1947 (p. il4)