Page 152 - big friday
P. 152
Act Three: Mr. President, I will not vote for you!
O r: To recognize or not to recognize the new state?
Ten thousand kilometers away from the tense discussions in Tel Aviv, on that same
Wednesday, during the course of those same hours, a discussion no less critical for the
future of the State of Israel was underway in Washington: should the US recognize the
state upon its establishment?
T he discussion was initiated by the President, Harry S. Truman; the other participants
included Secretary of State Marshall; his deputy – Robert Lovett; their assistants, Frazer
Wilkins and Robert McClintock; and three senior White House personnel: Clark Clifford,
David Niles, and Matthew Connelly. The meeting was held at Blair House [the presidential
guest house], since the White House was undergoing renovation.
T he President started off by saying that he had called the meeting out of great concern
as to what would happen in Palestine after May 15 (when the British were due to leave). He
asked to hear the views of the various participants. The position of the State Department
was presented mainly by Lovett, who was vehemently opposed to recognition of the Jewish
state. Clifford, who spoke in favor of recognition, was sharply criticized and heckled by
the State Department representatives, including Marshall. Most of the speakers were
inclined against recognition, which would cause the US major difficulties in the Middle
East. Marshall went furthest of all, at one point shouting at the President and declaring
that recognition – as per Clifford's recommendation – would bring the President votes
from one group (Jews) in the upcoming elections (November, 1948), but would cause
him grave damage on all other fronts. Marshall declared angrily, "If the President accepts
Clifford's suggestion, and I am able to vote in the coming Presidential elections – I will
vote against the President."
P resident Truman listened, his face giving away nothing,
and did not respond. He did not express his own view
concerning recognition. One might have guessed his view
from his summing-up, in which he said that he tended to
accept Marshall's view, but that for the time being he would
not decide one way or the other, and asked all those present to
"think about the matter some more."
After the men had left and only the President remained
behind with the disappointed Clifford, the President reassured
him: "Don't feel bad because of the way the meeting ended."
Clifford, a lawyer, said that in the past he had lost cases, and
perhaps that was what had happened here, too. The President
surprised him: "You haven't lost it yet!"
And so it was. Two days later, contrary to the position of the State Department,
President Truman granted recognition to the newly-born State of Israel, bestowing much-
needed legitimacy. When people expressed surprise at his decision, he explained: "Many
150 The Friday That Changed Destiny
O r: To recognize or not to recognize the new state?
Ten thousand kilometers away from the tense discussions in Tel Aviv, on that same
Wednesday, during the course of those same hours, a discussion no less critical for the
future of the State of Israel was underway in Washington: should the US recognize the
state upon its establishment?
T he discussion was initiated by the President, Harry S. Truman; the other participants
included Secretary of State Marshall; his deputy – Robert Lovett; their assistants, Frazer
Wilkins and Robert McClintock; and three senior White House personnel: Clark Clifford,
David Niles, and Matthew Connelly. The meeting was held at Blair House [the presidential
guest house], since the White House was undergoing renovation.
T he President started off by saying that he had called the meeting out of great concern
as to what would happen in Palestine after May 15 (when the British were due to leave). He
asked to hear the views of the various participants. The position of the State Department
was presented mainly by Lovett, who was vehemently opposed to recognition of the Jewish
state. Clifford, who spoke in favor of recognition, was sharply criticized and heckled by
the State Department representatives, including Marshall. Most of the speakers were
inclined against recognition, which would cause the US major difficulties in the Middle
East. Marshall went furthest of all, at one point shouting at the President and declaring
that recognition – as per Clifford's recommendation – would bring the President votes
from one group (Jews) in the upcoming elections (November, 1948), but would cause
him grave damage on all other fronts. Marshall declared angrily, "If the President accepts
Clifford's suggestion, and I am able to vote in the coming Presidential elections – I will
vote against the President."
P resident Truman listened, his face giving away nothing,
and did not respond. He did not express his own view
concerning recognition. One might have guessed his view
from his summing-up, in which he said that he tended to
accept Marshall's view, but that for the time being he would
not decide one way or the other, and asked all those present to
"think about the matter some more."
After the men had left and only the President remained
behind with the disappointed Clifford, the President reassured
him: "Don't feel bad because of the way the meeting ended."
Clifford, a lawyer, said that in the past he had lost cases, and
perhaps that was what had happened here, too. The President
surprised him: "You haven't lost it yet!"
And so it was. Two days later, contrary to the position of the State Department,
President Truman granted recognition to the newly-born State of Israel, bestowing much-
needed legitimacy. When people expressed surprise at his decision, he explained: "Many
150 The Friday That Changed Destiny
