April 20, 1946: The Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry submits its report, which recommends that Britain immediately
authorize the admission of 100,000 Jews into Palestine.
May 8, 1946: President Truman writes to Prime Minister Attlee, citing the report of the Anglo-American Committee
of Inquiry, and expressing the hope that Britain would begin lifting the barriers to Jewish immigration to Palestine.
June 21, 1946: A Joint Chiefs of Staff memorandum to the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee warns that if the United States uses armed force to support the implementation
of the recommendations of the report of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry, the Soviet Union might be able to increase
its power and influence in the Middle East, and United States access to Middle East oil could be jeopardized.
September 24, 1946: Counsel to the President Clark Clifford writes to the President to warn that the Soviet Union
wishes to achieve complete economic, military and political domination in the Middle East. Toward this end, Clifford argues,
they will encourage the emigration of Jews from Europe into Palestine and at the same time denounce British and American policies
toward Palestine and inflame the Arabs against these policies.
October 4, 1946: On the eve of Yom Kippur, President Truman issues a statement indicating United States support
for the creation of a "viable Jewish state."
October 23, 1946: Loy Henderson, director of the State Department's Near East Agency, warns that the immigration
of Jewish Communists into Palestine will increase Soviet influence there.
October 28, 1946: President Truman writes to King Saud of Saudi Arabia, informing the king that he believes "that
a national home for the Jewish people should be established in Palestine."
1947-48: The White House receives 48,600 telegrams, 790,575 cards, and 81,200 other pieces of mail on the subject of Palestine.
February 7, 1947: The British government announces that it will terminate its mandate for Palestine.
February 14, 1947: The British government announces that it will refer the problem of the future of Palestine to
the United Nations.
April 2, 1947: The British Government submits to the General Assembly of the United Nations an account of its administration
of Palestine under the League of Nations mandate, and asks the General Assembly to make recommendations regarding the future
government of Palestine.
May 13, 1947: The United Nations General Assembly appoints an eleven nation Special Committee on Palestine to study
the Palestine problem and report by September 1947.
August 31, 1947: The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine issues its report, which recommends unanimously
(all 11 member states voting in favor) that Great Britain terminate their mandate for Palestine and grant it independence
at the earliest possible date; and which also
recommends by majority vote
(7 of the member nations
voting in favor)
that Palestine be partitioned
into Jewish and Arab states.
