A Friendship That Created a State in Eleven Minutes

23-9-2018

- The former U.S. President Harry Truman...his critics called him before he was in the White House "the failed clothier"..The story continues that Truman and Jacobson ran a men's clothing store..in Kansas City...Truman and Jacobson in 1917. They knew each other since 1905...but the store collapsed after 3 years, leaving the two men drowning in debt...and thereafter Truman rose to the pinnacle of power..while his partner Edward Jacobson...spent the next twenty years as a traveling salesman and returned in 1945...to Kansas when Truman became president...and opened his own men's clothing store...and history records Truman's decisive role in creating the State of Israel..but it was Eddie Jacobson who contributed to persuading his old friend to perform this role..

- After World War II ..and after what happened to the Jews at the hands of Hitler..and after Britain decided to end its mandate over Palestine..and to pass the problem to the United Nations..Zionist leaders realized the necessity of winning the favor of the U.S. President at that time Harry Truman..for their cause..

- In searching for Truman's friends they found Eddie Jacobson..his partner in the store..Jacobson grew up as the son of Jewish immigrant parents from Lithuania on the East Side of New York..he volunteered to fight in World War I ..and met at Fort Sill in Oklahoma another volunteer, Harry Truman..they ran the base canteen together and served side by side...and became friends and like brothers....And with the vote in the United Nations approaching on the partition resolution, an official in the B'nai B'rith Jewish fraternal association...who knew their relationship...and asked Jacobson, who was also a member of B'nai B'rith...to appeal to Truman, and the result was an emotional letter...from Jacobson to President Truman:

- "In the name of my people's sons.."the future of one and a half million Jews in Europe depends on what happens at this very meeting..at the United Nations"..Jacobson wrote to his closest friend..adding "and the lives of tens of thousands depend on truthful words from your mouth and your heart...Harry..my people need help and I appeal to you to help them.".

- Jacobson followed his letter with several private visits to the White House where Truman received him whenever he wished ..these efforts bore fruit..Truman announced that he supported the UN resolution to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states and Truman helped secure approval in issuing the resolution dated 29-11-1947
and Jacobson wrote in his diary in those days "The mission is accomplished"
And before Britain's exit from Palestine..Zionist leaders had to win Truman for the second phase of their plan..which was to create a full state on the piece of land allocated by the United Nations in the partition resolution..1947

- Those were harsh months, and Truman later recalled, saying "I do not remember ever experiencing this amount of pressure and propaganda in the White House as I did in this case" and most of it came from Jews in Washington and beyond.."

- Truman complained that "Jesus Christ could not, while on earth, satisfy them..and therefore how can anyone expect me to enjoy this favor"..

- News of Truman's anger at the Jews alarmed them..so they decided that Chaim Weizmann, the renowned leader of the Zionist movement, should go to the White House..but Truman refused to receive him..after that the national president of B'nai B'rith, Frank Goldman, asked Jacobson to intervene..Jacobson agreed to write a letter to Truman, who replied with a refusal..so Jacobson decided to travel to Washington...and raise the issue in person..
He came to the White House..on Saturday, 12-3-1948..and the president was in a bad mood, cursing the Jews who were pressuring him as being (ill-mannered and scoundrels)..and Truman had just written in his memoirs..."Jews are very selfish, and neither Stalin nor Hitler in their treatment of the weak reach what they reach.."

- But Jacobson's friendship was decisive...where he told President Truman ..."..... Harry..in fact I have a hero I have never met..but I believe he is the greatest living Jew in the world..He is a sick man..his health is almost shattered...but he traveled thousands of miles just to see you and discuss with you the matter..my people..and you refused to meet him..because you felt insulted by some American Jewish leaders..and that is unlike you Harry..and I would not have come here if I did not know that if you met him..you would view the situation accurately and precisely as it is in Palestine...and yet you refuse to see him..."

- The president replied to his friend...saying.."You win, you cursed bald man"..He said "I will see him" five days later ...Weizmann secretly went to the White House..and it was..on 14-5-1948..the day before the British mandate in Palestine ended..Israel announced its birth as a state..effective from midnight..and after 11 minutes..Washington time 6:11..the United States recognized Israel as a sovereign state..and Jacobson sent Truman a message "Thank you may God bless you" Truman recognized the establishment of the State of Israel despite the opposition of American foreign policy men at that time..Defense Secretary James Forrestal..Under Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Secretary of State George Marshall...

- And I say with regret... Why do their friendships...serve their causes..while the friendships of our rulers serve the causes of their friends..!! When former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was asked..when he received many Arab leaders at an international occasion..one of the newspapers asked him...Did you discuss the Palestinian issue with the Arab leaders...in bilateral talks? He said .not a single Arab official raised or volunteered to speak about the Palestinian issue behind closed doors..!!!....It seems their winds - the Israelis' - are western ...laden with the scent of rainy Thanksgiving...while our winds seem eastern laden with the dry sands of a Saharan dust storm...They strove at its flanks...in their way...and won..the lion's share.....and we strove at its flanks...so we talked more....and shortened action. and fought among ourselves .!!.So the results...they obtained seven shares out of eight in Palestine..and one-eighth remained for us - with the letter tha - which equals the share of a wife in her husband's inheritance.!!....What are you doing..!! Negotiate with your friends secretly or openly...but do not forget the nation's cause..and tell us the truth...only .and without equivocation !! We wish a good ending....!