U.S. recognizes Jewish State

Sunday May 16, 1948

WASHINGTON (May 16) -- Ten minutes after the termination of the British Mandate on Friday, the White House released a formal statement by President Truman that the U.S. Government intended to recognize the Provisional Jewish Government as the de facto authority representing the Jewish State.

The U.S. is also considering lifting the arms embargo but it is not known whether to Palestine only or to the entire Middle East, and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Jewish Provisional Government.

The White House press secretary, Mr. Charles Ross, told correspondents today that reaction so far to the recognition had been overwhelmingly favorable. He said this step had been discussed with Mr. Marshall and Mr. Lovett before action was taken, and it had their complete support.

Mr. Ross said that the President had decided several days ago to grant American recognition to the Jewish State, but due to protocol regulations he could not announce his policy until a formal letter arrived. "We were able to move very quickly when the messenger brought the letter," he said, "because the President had already determined the course of action to be taken."

The Palestine Post, Sunday May 16, 1948

The Palestinian Arabs and the Palestinian Jews were both residents of the Mandate of Palestine, from which the term "Palestinian" comes from.

Palestinian Arabs have no absolute, natural right to self-determination of their own country without the reciprocal absolute natural right of the Palestinian Jew.

The Palestinian Jew has the right to veto such "rights" of the Palestinian Arabs since Palestinian Jews had a prior right to create a national existence in the lands of the Mandate of Palestine, because the Palestinian Jews were there first.

Palestinian Jews were there first, in spite of the Muslim waqf having tried to destroy the archaeological evidence.

Moreover, the rights asserted by such Palestinian Arabs - to eradicate all Jews from all of Arabia - would pose the gravest of dangers to the prior rights of the State of Israel and trigger the absolute, natural right of self defense of the Palestinian Jews to preserve themselves by wiping out the challenge so that it does not ever arise again.

Sunday May 16, 1948:

STATE OF ISRAEL IS BORN

(May 16) -- The first independent Jewish State in 19 centuries was born in Tel Aviv as the British Mandate over Palestine came to an end at midnight on Friday, and it was immediately subjected to the test of fire.

As "Medinat Yisrael" (State of Israel) was proclaimed, the battle for Jerusalem raged, with most of the city falling to the Jews. At the same time, President Truman announced that the United States would accord recognition to the new State. A few hours later, Palestine was invaded by Moslem armies from the south, east and north, and Tel Aviv was raided from the air. On Friday the United Nations Special Assembly adjourned after adopting a resolution to appoint a mediator but without taking any action on the Partition Resolution of November 29.

Yesterday the battle for the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road was still under way, and two Arab villages were taken. In the north, Acre town was captured, and the Jewish Army consolidated its positions in Western Galilee.