Joshua Riesenberg
HIST-1493-010
Ms. Courtney Kennedy
4 December, 2015
A Song Heard Around the World
“The allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth.”
- Woodrow Wilson (1917)
This is a story of freedom and home. One might expect any historical account of the Jewish people to be one of oppression and struggle, and for the most part that is true. However, one movement would not go quietly, would not let this story end in failure. The Zionist movement truthfully began nearly the moment the Jews fled Jerusalem. However, this story will begin in 1897 when The First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland urges “a public and legally assured …show more content…
Truman recognized the new nation.4 However, how did Israel come to be? And what part did the American Government and people play in this new state? To answer these questions we have to look back to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the Holocaust, World War II, and the formation of the United Nations. More specifically, we most look at these events leading up to the Partition Resolution with acute detail given to the role of American Jews and how their leadership and collaboration led to the first recognized Jewish state. The contribution by Jewish Americans before, during, and after World War II to incite sympathy, generate funds, and enlighten the world to Zionism is largely overlooked. However, it plays a large role in the war effort, and an even larger role in the United Nations decision to create Israel and the postwar diplomacy between The United States and a Jewish …show more content…
The letter made a public statement that the British Government would endorse the creation of a Jewish State in Palestine.5 Though the letter was made public in 1917, the same year ZOA became the center of the Zionist movement, it was not until 1922 that the United States government made the statement that the United States of America favors the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which will prejudice the civil and religious rights of Christians and all other non-Jewish communities in Palestine.6 The Mandate for Palestine’s purpose was meant to put the Balfour Declaration into effect, however, it also recognized – for the first time – the fact that Palestine had been the Jews’ home.7 The fact that this Mandate recognized Palestine is the Jews’ home became more important than the actual immigration of Jews to Palestine as Great Britain severely limited the immigration and Palestine was still not a Jewish state. Yet, between the recognition that Palestine is home, and the support of 52 government at the League of Nations the Zionist movement had taken remarkable strides in this time. The Zionist in America recognized this, and without Brandeis’ leadership and the ever increasing American support of the movement the world governments would not have been as sympathetic as they
HIST-1493-010
Ms. Courtney Kennedy
4 December, 2015
A Song Heard Around the World
“The allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth.”
- Woodrow Wilson (1917)
This is a story of freedom and home. One might expect any historical account of the Jewish people to be one of oppression and struggle, and for the most part that is true. However, one movement would not go quietly, would not let this story end in failure. The Zionist movement truthfully began nearly the moment the Jews fled Jerusalem. However, this story will begin in 1897 when The First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland urges “a public and legally assured …show more content…
Truman recognized the new nation.4 However, how did Israel come to be? And what part did the American Government and people play in this new state? To answer these questions we have to look back to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the Holocaust, World War II, and the formation of the United Nations. More specifically, we most look at these events leading up to the Partition Resolution with acute detail given to the role of American Jews and how their leadership and collaboration led to the first recognized Jewish state. The contribution by Jewish Americans before, during, and after World War II to incite sympathy, generate funds, and enlighten the world to Zionism is largely overlooked. However, it plays a large role in the war effort, and an even larger role in the United Nations decision to create Israel and the postwar diplomacy between The United States and a Jewish …show more content…
The letter made a public statement that the British Government would endorse the creation of a Jewish State in Palestine.5 Though the letter was made public in 1917, the same year ZOA became the center of the Zionist movement, it was not until 1922 that the United States government made the statement that the United States of America favors the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which will prejudice the civil and religious rights of Christians and all other non-Jewish communities in Palestine.6 The Mandate for Palestine’s purpose was meant to put the Balfour Declaration into effect, however, it also recognized – for the first time – the fact that Palestine had been the Jews’ home.7 The fact that this Mandate recognized Palestine is the Jews’ home became more important than the actual immigration of Jews to Palestine as Great Britain severely limited the immigration and Palestine was still not a Jewish state. Yet, between the recognition that Palestine is home, and the support of 52 government at the League of Nations the Zionist movement had taken remarkable strides in this time. The Zionist in America recognized this, and without Brandeis’ leadership and the ever increasing American support of the movement the world governments would not have been as sympathetic as they