Page 153 - big friday
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fessional officials in the government believe it is they who create policy and lead the
administration. They view the elected representatives as no more than temporary residents.
Every president in our history has faced this problem – how to prevent the professional
officials from by-passing the policy of the President."
** *
Thus, two days before the Friday that changed destiny, May 14, 1948, fateful decisions
were made on Wednesday, May 12. Without them, the state could not have arisen and set
out on its new path on the right foot.
" We have to move forward"
Moshe Sharett (Shertok)
An excerpt from the speech by Moshe Shertok, head of the Political Department of the
Jewish Agency and Foreign Minister designate in the Provisional Government, at the
session of the Mapai Central Committee, on the eve of the establishment of the state.
Shertok was considered the leader of the party moderates, and he did not hide his concerns
about American pressure. However, he concluded his speech by recommending that the
party's Central Committee support the establishment of the state immediately with the
conclusion of the Mandate, despite all the difficulties and dangers.
"I cannot review here the twists and turns that we have followed on this path,
throughout this story, and the discussions behind the scenes, the various proposals offered
to us, and the lobbying, the compensations, and the threats. We have come to realize
that we cannot travel this road with them [the Americans]. As someone [Secretary of
State George Marshall] was told, in a recent conversation, when asked a clear and decisive
question: ‘Where is US policy headed in our regard? If there is a desire that a Jewish state
arise, and it is merely a question of overcoming some transient difficulties, removing some
obstacles from the path, then the desire of a world power such as the US can also be taken
into consideration. But if there is no security and no such guarantee; on the contrary –
there is very serious concern that this is merely a stage in the complete annihilation of the
dream of a Jewish state - then there is no choice' – as he was told during that conversation,
‘One doesn't buy friendship at the cost of suicide.’
And there is a very balanced, well-founded view, amongst various groups of our
friends, that the matter is not so deeply rooted. If this group [surrounding the US State
Department] achieves what it wants by bringing us to withdrawal and reluctance, there
Before the Declaration 151
administration. They view the elected representatives as no more than temporary residents.
Every president in our history has faced this problem – how to prevent the professional
officials from by-passing the policy of the President."
** *
Thus, two days before the Friday that changed destiny, May 14, 1948, fateful decisions
were made on Wednesday, May 12. Without them, the state could not have arisen and set
out on its new path on the right foot.
" We have to move forward"
Moshe Sharett (Shertok)
An excerpt from the speech by Moshe Shertok, head of the Political Department of the
Jewish Agency and Foreign Minister designate in the Provisional Government, at the
session of the Mapai Central Committee, on the eve of the establishment of the state.
Shertok was considered the leader of the party moderates, and he did not hide his concerns
about American pressure. However, he concluded his speech by recommending that the
party's Central Committee support the establishment of the state immediately with the
conclusion of the Mandate, despite all the difficulties and dangers.
"I cannot review here the twists and turns that we have followed on this path,
throughout this story, and the discussions behind the scenes, the various proposals offered
to us, and the lobbying, the compensations, and the threats. We have come to realize
that we cannot travel this road with them [the Americans]. As someone [Secretary of
State George Marshall] was told, in a recent conversation, when asked a clear and decisive
question: ‘Where is US policy headed in our regard? If there is a desire that a Jewish state
arise, and it is merely a question of overcoming some transient difficulties, removing some
obstacles from the path, then the desire of a world power such as the US can also be taken
into consideration. But if there is no security and no such guarantee; on the contrary –
there is very serious concern that this is merely a stage in the complete annihilation of the
dream of a Jewish state - then there is no choice' – as he was told during that conversation,
‘One doesn't buy friendship at the cost of suicide.’
And there is a very balanced, well-founded view, amongst various groups of our
friends, that the matter is not so deeply rooted. If this group [surrounding the US State
Department] achieves what it wants by bringing us to withdrawal and reluctance, there
Before the Declaration 151
