In 1945, under the direction of U.S. President Truman, Harrison leads an investigation into the conditions and needs of the displaced persons (DP) in the liberated countries of Western Europe. The report is important in setting American policy toward the DPs. It describes the shocking condition of Jews in Europe. Harrison concludes that, “With respect to possible places of resettlement for those who may be stateless or who do not wish to return to their homes, Palestine is definitely and pre-eminently the first choice.” The report has some influence on Truman’s decision to press the British into opening up Palestine to Jewish immigration. By mid-1945, prior to the Harrison report, the Jewish population of Palestine is already 550,000 of the 650,000 who would be there in May 1948.
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