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U.S. Presidents & Israel: A Blessing or a Cursing?. Woodrow Wilson: 1913 - 1921. Arthur James Balfour and Chaim Weizmann. The Balfour Declaration: November, 1917—Arthur James Balfour.
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The Balfour Declaration: November, 1917—Arthur James Balfour His Majesty's government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object. . . .
WOODROW WILSON: First U.S. President to get behind Zionism “How proud I am that because of the teachings instilled in me by my father, it has been my privilege to restore the Holy Land to its rightful owners.”
Louis D. Brandeis • Supreme Court 1916 • Served until 1939
Warren Harding & Immigration Emergency Quota Act of 1921 limited Jewish immigrants and turned Jews against him. Anti-Semitism was rising in the 1920s.
“I have watched with genuine admiration the steady and unmistakable progress made in the rehabilitation of Palestine…”
Aided Jews devastated by WWI and the pogroms • Supported Jewish State • Supported rescue of Jews from Holocaust
Jeremiah 16 warning • “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.”
In office one week and first concentration camp opened: Dachau
What about bombing the railroads to the concentration camps? “Such an operation would in any case be of such doubtful efficacy that it would not warrant the use of our resources.” --Roosevelt spokesman
Truman on May 14, 1948: “One of the proudest days of my life occurred at 6:12 p.m. on Friday, May 14, 1948, when I was able to announce recognition of the new state of Israel by the government of the United States. In view of the long friendship of the American people for the Zionist ideal, it was particularly appropriate that our government should be the first to recognize the new state.”
Truman’s burden: Jewish refugees—80,000 Jewish refugees entered U.S.
War of Independence • U.S. State Department wanted no involvement. • U.S. would not arm the Jews.
War of Independence: On their own • Air Force of 9 obsolete planes • Ben Gurion: We only have a 50-50 chance of survival.
Eisenhower years: • Called the coldest years in Israel-U.S. history including the Carter years. • Israel’s socialism bothered Eisenhower. • The Arabs offered “containment” of Communism.
John Foster Dulles “The Israeli embassy is practically dictating to Congress through influential Jewish people in America.” “Jewish influence dominates the scene…”
February 2, 1957 • Eisenhower joined with 75 other nations in the UN General Assembly in passing a resolution "deploring" Israel's occupationof Sinai.
March, 1956: Sen. John Kennedy: “It is time that the nations of the world, in the Middle East and elsewhere, realize that Israel is here to stay; she will not surrender, she will not retreat, and we will not let her fall.”
LBJ’s Grandfather: “Take care of the Jews, God’s chosen people. Consider them your friends and help them any way you can.”
1945: Dachau • Shaken • Stunned • Bursting with overpowering revulsion and incredulous horror
A Righteous Gentile Lady Bird: “Person after person plucked at my sleeve and said, ‘I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Lyndon Johnson. He helped me out of Europe.’”
Johnson & the Six Day War: Neutrality The war could have been avoided if America and NATO had warned Egypt and Syria against aggression.
