1. History 102SY The United States and the Middle East 1900 to the Present

2. Truman and the Establishment of Israel

3. In late 1940s US government, under President Harry S. Truman, played key role in bringing state of Israel into being, embittering Arab opinion in ways that remain relevant today

4. Since early 1920s Britain had mandate over Palestine

5. 1930s—Nazi persecution caused increased European Jewish emigration to Palestine

6. 1939—Britain issued White Paper Placed strict limits on numbers of Jews admitted to Palestine each year Regulated land sales in Palestine to Zionist institutions and individuals

7. David Ben-Gurion Zionists bitterly opposed White Paper, which appeared as refugee situation in Europe was growing increasingly dire

8. WWII: Nazi Holocaust generated enormous support for Zionist movement

9. During war center of gravity of Zionism shifted from Europe to US Biltmore Conference, 1942

10. Republican and Democratic National Conventions, 1944 US political establishment strongly supported establishing Jewish state in Palestine; pressured Britain to facilitate its creation

11. April 1945—Harry Truman became president following FDR’s death

12. In 1945 plight of Jewish “displaced persons” (DPs) was major international issue

13. 1945-1946—Zionist groups attacked British forces in Palestine and illegally smuggled Jewish refugees into Palestine

14. 1946—Bombing of King David Hotel in Jerusalem

15. Early 1947—Britain announced it would pull out of Palestine in 1948, turning issue over to United Nations

16. Summer 1947—UN Special Commission recommended partion of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states

17. Zionists accepted partition plan; Arabs rejected it

18. Division within Truman administration Opposing partition: Secretary of State George Marshall and NEA Director Loy Henderson

19. Division within Truman administration Supporting partition: WH advisers Clark Clifford and David Niles

20. Truman decided to support partition

21. November 1947— UN General Assembly voted in favor of partition

22. 1960

23. 1947-1948—UN partition vote sparked violence between Zionists and Palestinian Arabs

24. May 1948—Zionists declared independent state of Israel

25. Division within Truman administration Secretary of State George Marshall WH Counsel Clark Clifford

26. Truman immediately recognized Israel

27. Arab states went to war against new state

28. but Israeli army defeated them

29. ... and took more territory than initially allotted to Jewish state

30. 1947-1949—750,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from homes in present-day Israel

31. Israel refused to permit repatriation of refugees

32. Atrocities by Zionists and Palestinian Arabs in 1948 Deir Yassin Kfar Etzion

33. Truman tried to get Israel to give back territory and take back some Palestinian refugees, but Israel refused and Truman gave up

34. Warren Austin

36. Truman tried to get Israel to give back territory and take back some Palestinian refugees, but Israel refused and Truman gave up