The American Recognition of Israel: The Original Exhibition Copy, Exhibited by the Governments of Israel and the United States, Signed by President Truman

This remarkable and unique document has a history of exhibition by the American and Israeli governments; it was acquired from the descendants of the recipient and has never before been offered for sale

“The United States recognizes the provision government as the de facto authority of the new State of Israel.”

For almost 2,000 years, ever since the Romans forced the Jewish people to leave their homeland – the Land of Israel, they have yearned for Zion. Over the millennia it has often been at the root of what it meant to be a Jew. It was their spiritual homeland and their daily longing. At every Passover, at the seder, they would say “Next year in Jerusalem”, reaffirming the hope that one day the Jewish people might return there. But for all those the centuries that hope was forlorn. The early days of the diaspora saw the Jews scattered, the Middle Ages saw them ghettoed and persecuted, the Crusader era saw them blamed and murdered, then in the Enlightenment and 19th century many emerged from the societies at large to find they were not accepted. There was never a hope to return to Zion. Then, in 1896, Theodor Herzl founded the Zionist movement when, in his book “Der Judenstaat”, he envisioned the founding of an independent Jewish state during the 20th century. Most Zionists emphasized the memory, emotion and myth linking Jews to the Land of Israel, so their dreamed-of state had to be there.

In 1917 Chaim Weizmann, scientist, statesman, and Zionist, persuaded the British government to issue a statement favoring the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The statement, which became known as the Balfour Declaration, was, in part, recognition to the Jews for their support of the British against the Turks during World War I. After the war, the League of Nations ratified the declaration and in 1922 appointed Britain to rule Palestine, which had been under Turkish rule for centuries. This was what the British called their Palestine Mandate.

This course of events caused Jews to be optimistic about the eventual establishment of a homeland. Their optimism inspired the immigration to Palestine of Jews from many countries, particularly from Germany when Nazi persecution of Jews began. The arrival of many Jewish immigrants in the 1930s awakened Arab fears that Palestine would actually become a national homeland for the Jews, jeopardizing their position there. By 1936 guerrilla fighting had broken out between the Jews and the Arabs. Unable to maintain peace, Britain issued a white paper in 1939 that restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The Jews, feeling betrayed, bitterly opposed the policy and looked to the United States for support.

While President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared to be sympathetic to the Jewish cause, he gave assurances to the Arabs that the United States would not intervene without consulting both parties. This caused public uncertainty about his position, which in fact was to put off the troublesome question. When Harry S. Truman took office, he made clear that his sympathies were with the Jews and accepted the Balfour Declaration, explaining that it was in keeping with former President Woodrow Wilson’s principle of “self-determination.” Truman initiated several studies of the Palestine situation that supported his position that, as a result of the Holocaust, Jews were oppressed and also in need of a homeland.

Britain and the United States, in a joint effort to examine the dilemma, established the “Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry.” In April 1946, the committee submitted ten recommendations covering topics such as “The European Problem,” “Refugee Immigration Into Palestine,” “Principals of Government,” “United Nations Trusteeship, and “The Need for Peace in Palestine.” These recommendations were wishy-washy and satisfied none of the parties, certainly not the Jews and Arabs. Jewish activism in Palestine antagonized the British, and by February 1947 Arab-Jewish communications had collapsed. Britain, anxious to rid itself of the thorny, persistent problem, set the United Nations in motion, formally requesting on April 2, 1947, that the U.N. General Assembly set up the Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP). This committee recommended that the British mandate over Palestine be ended and that the territory be partitioned into two states – one Jewish and one Arab.

Jewish reaction was mixed – some wanted control of all of Palestine; others were content that partition spelled realization of their dream of a homeland. The Arabs were not at all agreeable to the UNSCOP plan. In October the Arab League Council directed the governments of its member states to move troops to the Palestine border, threatening war. Meanwhile, President Truman instructed the State Department to support the U.N. plan for partition, and, reluctantly it did so. Secretary of State George Marshall was particularly strong in urging Truman – unavailingly – to avoid creation of a Jewish homeland, as it would lead to problems with the Arabs. On November 29, 1947, the partition plan was passed by the U.N. General Assembly. Jews around the world rejoiced.

At midnight on May 14, 1948, the Provisional Government of Israel proclaimed a new State of Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in 2,000 years. The proclamation read:

“We declare that, with effect from the moment of the termination of the Mandate being tonight, the eve of Sabbath, the 6th Iyar, 5708 (15th May, 1948), until the establishment of the elected, regular authorities of the State in accordance with the Constitution which shall be adopted by the Elected Constituent Assembly not later than the 1st October 1948, the People’s Council shall act as a Provisional Council of State, and its executive organ, the People’s Administration, shall be the Provisional Government of the Jewish State, to be called “Israel”.

“The State of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

On that same date, within hours, President Truman drafted, then revised and issued, a press release recognizing the provisional Jewish government as de facto authority of the Jewish state. It read: “This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested by the provisional government thereof. The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new State of Israel.” This was an unsigned press release put out for public consumption. Thus was history made, and thus did the United States recognize Israel, a recognition that was the key to Israel’s future. The U.S. delegates to the U.N. and top-ranking State Department officials were upset that Truman released his recognition statement unofficially to the press without notifying them first. Conflict escalated the following day, on May 15, 1948, when the first Arab-Israeli war began. It was a war that Israel would win in 1949.

A search for the official document of recognition years later disclosed that the only such document was the press release, which was unsigned. A signed copy of the draft of the press release, with changes in Truman’s hand and dated May 14, 1948, is at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO.

The Document

Zecharia Sitchin was an internationally acclaimed author and researcher whose books offer evidence that we are not alone in our solar system. He and his wife were also active in Jewish causes and organizations. He was a founding Director of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and was chairman of the American- Israel Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair held in 1964/65. Mrs. Sitchin was President of the New York Chapter of Hadassah and a member of Hadassah’s National Board.

Sitchin describes the creation of this document in his letter to the Israeli embassy. “Although the United States recognized the State of Israel within hours of its proclamation, the fact is that there is no instrument of recognition in existence. As it happened, the ‘recognition’ was granted in the form of a White House statement to the press, typed out on plain paper and unsigned. The Truman Library in Independence Missouri possesses a draft of the statement with inked corrections that was approved by President Truman. It also possesses a copy of the final, clean version – but that document is unsigned. In 1964/5 I was President of the American-Israel pavilion at the New York World’s Fair. During a meeting with president Truman at the Library, I discussed with him the regretful fact of the absence of a signed Document of Recognition. On his instructions a photocopy was made of the clean, final Statement and he signed it then and there…. This signed Document of Recognition – the only one in existence – was then displayed in the Pavilion and has remained in my possession.

Document signed, of the May 14, 1948 “Statement by the President.” “This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested the provisional government thereof. The United States recognizes the provision government as the de facto authority of the new State of Israel.” Signed: “Harry S Truman, a photostat copy, signed 1/27/65.”

Comes with: The display plaque at the New York World’s Fair; the Program for the National Park Service Exhibition listing it; the letter from Israeli government requesting its loan; the letter from its owner describing its provenance.

Exhibitions:

The New York Worlds Fair, 1964-5, per the above description and its genesis;

The Statue of Liberty Centennial celebration took place in 1986. This was a city-wide celebration. For this, they assembled some of the great historical documents in the history of nations worldwide relating to their relations with the United States. It took place at Federal Hall in New York and was called the ”Documents of Liberty.” The exhibit included the original Magna Carta, to which King John affixed his seal at Runnymede in 1215; the deed to the gift of the Statue of Liberty; the Constitution of France in 1791, its first; letter from Giuseppe Garibaldi about the formation of an Italian government; original treaties of amity and friendship with several European and Asian governments; etc…. This exhibition also included this document as the formal recognition of the American recognition of Israel.

In 1988, the Israeli Embassy in Washington celebrated the 40th anniversary of Israel’s independence and this was the feature document on display.

The Zionist organization of America also displayed it in 1988. Here is a contemporary speech by the organization’s head related to that event: “The high point of the evening was a presentation to the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) of the only document ever signed by the late President of the United States Harry S. Truman recognizing the State of Israel. “There never was any formal document that President Truman signed in 1948 recognizing the State of Israel”, said Sitchin. “Rather in the normal conduct of White House business on May 14, 1948 a mimeographed news release announcing American recognition of the Jewish State was issued and constitutes the only formal White House document memorializing this event so important to Jews throughout the world. As chairman of the American-Israel Pavillion at the 1964-65 World Fair in New York, I had occasion to visit President Truman in Independence, Missouri, prior to the Fair, in search of memorabilia about Israel and the American Jewish community which could be displayed. President Truman was kind enough to sign a copy of this news release, thus making it the only document proclaiming United States recognition of Israel that bears President Truman’s signature. I am proud to present this document to ZOA for display on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary Convention to be held July 3-8, 1988 in Jerusalem.” ZOA President Milton Shapiro thanked Mr. and Mrs. Sitchin for their thoughtfulness, saying “They have given of themselves tirelessly on behalf of the State of Israel and the Jewish People and we salute them tonight for their thoughtfulness in providing us with this historic momento which will add substantially to the richness of ZOA’s 90th Anniversary Convention.”

There are no other known signed final recognition documents. We obtained this truly unique piece from the Sitchin descendants and it has never before been offered for sale.