In President Truman's foreign policy, the Palestinian issue was a controversial issue, and Truman's Palestine policy involved many factors, such as U.S. support for Israel, U.S. interests in the Arab world, concern for Jewish refugees, etc. This article will explore the reasons and effects behind Truman's Palestine policy.
Palestinian policy in the early days of Truman's administration
Truman became President of the United States on April 12, 1945, and when he succeeded him, the United States had begun to play an important role in the Palestinian question, Truman's initial Palestinian policy was to continue the policy of President Roosevelt's administration, and in November 1947, the United Nations adopted a resolution dividing Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state and placing Jerusalem under international administration, which the Truman administration supported but took no further action.
When Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, and Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq invaded Israel, the Truman administration initially adopted a neutral stance, but soon changed its position and declared its support for Israel, which aroused the displeasure of the Arab countries, which immediately complained to the United Nations and demanded that the resolution be withdrawn.
Truman's mid-term Palestine policy
Truman's gradual shift to support for Israel in his medium-term Palestinian policy was due to a number of reasons, one of which was the concern for the Jewish refugee problem, which Truman believed was an international issue and that the United States should take more responsibility, saying, "I cannot tolerate discrimination and persecution against any people, anywhere, and this discrimination and persecution is happening in Palestine." ”
At the same time, the Truman administration continued to support United Nations mediation efforts on the question of Palestine, and on this basis, it recognized Israel's independence on May 14, 1948, becoming one of the first countries to recognize Israel, a decision that angered Arab countries and triggered a war between Israel and Arab countries, known as the First Middle East War.
In 1949, Israel and Arab countries reached a ceasefire, the Truman administration continued to work for a negotiated peace settlement, and in 1950, the Truman administration continued to recognize Israel, but did not move the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, on the contrary, he stated in his 1950 State of the Union address that the United States would not support any unilateral action and that the issue of Jerusalem as its capital needed to be resolved through peaceful negotiations.
Author's opinion:
The Truman administration's policy on the Palestinian issue can be said to be a relatively neutral and peaceful policy, and he tried to promote a peaceful solution between Israel and the Arab countries through the mediation of the United Nations, but he also aroused the antipathy and dissatisfaction of the Arab countries on issues such as recognizing Israel's independence and not moving the embassy to Jerusalem, allowing the tension in the Middle East to continue.
Bibliography:
1. Qiu Zhanhua. From Truman to Eisenhower: An Analysis of the Evolution of U.S. Middle East Policy[J]. Modern International Relations, 2013(3): 79-84.
2. Jia Xingzhong. The Truman administration's handling of the question of Palestine[J]. Foreign Affairs Review, 2018(2): 77-86.
ZHAO Yan. The policy of the Truman administration on the question of Palestine[J]. World History, 2016(1): 59-62.
