Harry Truman’s concerns about Israel and Palestine
By John B. Judis
January 15, 2014
In November 1953, after he had left the presidency, Harry Truman traveled to New York to be feted at the Jewish Theological Seminary. When his old friend Eddie Jacobson introduced him as “the man who helped create the state of Israel,” Truman responded, “What do you mean ‘helped to create’? I am Cyrus.” Truman was referring to the Persian King who overthrew the Babylonians in 593 B.C.E. and helped the Jews, who had been held captive in Babylon, return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.
… (several paragraphs later) “But the considerations that led Truman to favor a bi-national or federated Palestine were not fantastic, and remain relevant today. There was always a strong moral streak in Truman’s foreign policy. He thought of the world divided between underdogs and bullies and good and evil. He genuinely hated Nazis and sympathized with Jews as their victims. His support for the right of the refugees to emigrate to Palestine reflected his moral conviction rather than any concern about electoral support.
[Magita’s opinion: With all of the discussion about Zionism and Judaism, Nazism and Communism, Nationalism and Patriotism, when I stumbled upon this gem of an article, I had to read it. This summary of the event told in analytical context (through Truman’s perspective told by author Judis) clarified a great deal for me. I suspect it is because I was raised in exactly the Protestant religious theater Mr. Truman saw in his early years in Country Hick Baptist Missouri. Now that I have returned to the Ozark Mountain Wilderness, I’ve discovered why the times and a half may have already started with or without us. Reading this article helped settle the question of the date, which seems to contrast with 4T lore and doctrine. As for my opinion on the issue? I am still not willing to change my belief that Cuba would have made a perfect place for a New Israel. (sarcasm, if needed). I apologize for my lack of prowess with the new computer. I would rather be pulling weeds or picking up a few of the six million or so rocks in my front yard.]
https://newrepublic.com/article/116215/was-harry-truman-zionist
“There was always a strong moral streak in Truman’s foreign policy.”
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I see what you’re saying. [img
Hiroshima from the Ra album by the Todd Rundgren Utopia band—great song if you’ve never heard it…
HIROSHIMA
Under the rising sun dirty yellow children play
And in the red pagoda mamasan is praying
Blood wasted saving face, ancestors are looking on
As they wave their silver samurai underneath the big gun
Hiroshima, no one could imagine
Not the victors nor the victims
Pitiful survivors nor the pawn of a man
Who had the button under his hand
No one would believe it
God, god is on our side, he placed the power in our hands
To teach the yellow peril, this is christian mercy
Harry, harry give ’em hell, give ’em hell one more time again
We’ll show those axis powers how to make an oven [fry them]
Hiroshima, nagasaki
Don’t you ever forget, don’t you ever fuckin’ forget
This is the official voice of the united states of america addressing the
Peoples of the islands of japan. tomorrow morning, on august 15th, 1945 at
Exactly 8:15 am, we will bomb your cities of nagasaki and hiroshima with a
Blast that will level these cities. this is the only alert you will receive.
Songwriters: ROGER POWELL, TODD RUNDGREN
Exactly, flash. I grew up in the environment Truman developed that moral streak. It is the high moral ground in a sinking swamp. Which is the real reason I stumbled upon this article… doing some research into Federal encroachment into local land ownership brought me to Truman on an unrelated topic. I took the opportunity to look at this issue from another point of view.
I thought it presented a good summary of the issues of Palestine.
Now, about the image you posted? It explains that too… Truman believed in using big sticks, as most Progressives do.
Thanks for posting this Maggie.
If true,it paints a very different picture of Truman then we’ve come to know over the years,doesn’t it?
It was much more about the politics then the principle,wasn’t it?
I thought it was a really interesting look at Truman’s reasoning and inability to stop the political maneuverings of TPTB.
If you ever want to know who the good guys are when the guns begin, watch the refugees. They don’t go toward the bad guys. I learned this from the Newsreels in the movie theaters during WW II. Those short films before the features also showed some of the walking skeletons liberated from Nazi death and work camps.
There are still some of us around who recall the Nazi atrocities against Jews, Gypsies and free-speech advocates. We tend to respect Israel as the Jewish homeland, separate from “Zionism” as interpreted by haters.
But how to tell which is which?
Wilson had his regrets for his criminal role in establishing the Federal Reserve, Truman had his regrets, Eisenhower had his regrets and gave his warnings (about a group he shoveled money hand over fist towards during his presidency). Our EMPERORS are the greatest criminals in the history of mankind. When are we finally going to realize that the only ones who should be regretting anything are those who continue to support the belief that ANYONE should be allowed to have power and authority over anyone else. Government is the greatest evil ever created by man.
Our Founding Fathers knew that governments drift toward evil. Is why we had, until the 20th century, a semblance of balance of power. No longer.
We will see this country cut into five regions in the next decade, I believe.