“The Balfour Statement.” Newspaper article by Dr. Schulman (1917)
The article written by Dr. Samuel Schulman shortly after the Balfour Declaration in 1917 highlights Jewish opposition to the Balfour Declaration. Dr. Schulman wrote the article shortly after the British Government declared support for the establishment of a “Jewish Homeland,” through the Balfour Declaration. While Dr. Schulman himself was in favor of the creation of a state of Jewish people, he still believed that “Jews should remain scattered.” Schulman believed that if Jews in the West began to believe that they had a higher loyalty to a Jewish state besides the one in which presently resided, it would become easier for anti-Semites to garnish the political will to force Jews out of any Western country. This article is important because it brings to light early American opposition to the foundation of a Jewish Homeland. Dr. Schulman, who was writing for The American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger, explains why calls for a Jewish Homeland could potentially be harmful. Schulman was writing to fellow Jews, as they were the primary readers of the paper, and he was effectively warning them to be wary of calls for a Jewish State.
Joint Resolution Favoring the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, H.J. Res. 322, 67th Cong. (1922).
On September 21st, 1922, nearly five years after the British Government released the Balfour Declaration, the United States congress formally supported the mandate. The resolution that was passed by Congress was called the “Joint Resolution Favoring the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” The resolution showed that the United States government was also in favor of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine. The resolution declares that non-Jewish communities will not lose any political or civil rights, specifically Christian communities, even though Palestine was home to many Muslims, too. This joint resolution is important to the history between the United States and Israel because it is the first instance in which the United States government formally declared that a Jewish State has the right to exist. By passing the resolution, the United States congress was appeasing the Zionist movement in America. Furthermore, passage of the resolution showed strong support by the U.S. for its British ally.
President Harry S. Truman “Statement by the President.” Executive Order (May 14, 1948)
Eleven minutes after the proclamation of independence of the State of Israel, United States President Harry Truman issued an executive order recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Israel. The executive order granted de-facto recognition to Israel. The United States was the first country to recognize Israel’s independence. Truman issued the executive order so quickly to show other countries that the United States had a commitment to the State of Israel. This executive order is a crucial part of the history between the United States and Israel because it is the first time the United States recognizes Israel as an actual state. Issuing de-facto recognition did not honor Israel’s legitimacy concerning law, though that would come in fewer than seven months. The fact that Truman issued the executive order so quickly suggests that he believed that the United States would be taking a leading role in defending the Jewish State.