February 17, 1948
After voting for the United Nations’ resolution recommending the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states the previous November, the policy planning staff of the U.S. State Department prepares a memorandum for Secretary of State George Marshall and President Harry Truman essentially seeking non-implementation of the partition resolution. The fear is that partition will bring about a Jewish state, the Jews will be roundly beaten by Arab armies, the U.S. will be asked to intervene on their behalf, and the Soviet Union will use the opportunity to place its fighting forces in the region, creating an unwanted confrontation between the two emerging superpowers. The State Department also wishes to avoid incurring Arab hostility for Washington’s support of a Jewish state.
In addition, the State Department wants to urge the United Kingdom to continue to exercise its mandate over Palestine in the event of reconsideration by the U.N. of the Palestine problem. “Should the UN reconsider the Palestine problem, the US should propose establishing a trusteeship for Palestine, including the provision of an international force during an unspecified transition period [to a federal state]. And the US should immediately urge all Arab states to refrain from any act of aggression.”
Nowhere in the memorandum is there any endorsement for the establishment of a Jewish state. Two days later, Marshall, still angry that Truman supported the partition vote at the U.N. in November, tells his colleagues at the State Department that Truman has assured him that the U.S. will disregard domestic political factors in making decisions.
George Kennan, the director of the policy planning staff, sends a memo making the case against U.S. support for partition Feb. 24.
By June 1948, the State Department comes around to supporting the idea of the new Jewish state, and Arab state alienation does not, as predicted, “endanger the security of the United States.” And, of course, Israel survives the attacks by Arab armies, and the U.S. does not have to send troops.
See images of the Feb. 17 memo in the online collection of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.
