Concerned that Israel would attempt to establish a Jewish ethnocracy,
Truman had corresponded with Zionist Organization President Chaim Weizmann and received a series of letters of assurance that Israel would be a secular democracy with equal rights for all.
However, the draft he received (above) requesting recognition by the United States did not reflect Weizmann's pledge. Truman therefore crossed out the words "Jewish state" and substituted the words, "State of Israel."
Truman's Secretary of State, Gen. George Marshall, strongly opposed recognition since the Zionist forces had violated the UN prohibition against armed aggression and recognition would violate the UN Charter's prescription of self-determination, ignoring the rights of the Muslim and Christian Arab majority population of Palestine.
Both the US military and security establishments joined the State Department in opposing recognition, predicting nothing but trouble ahead. The US consular office in Jerusalem had provided ground-level accounts of the ongoing events (described in Stephen Green's book, TakingSides) and these well-informed and prescient leaders favored UN administration of Palestine to replace the British mandate authority, supporting a UN Security Council draft plan for a 5-year trusteeship.
But Truman needed support from the American Zionist community for his upcoming presidential campaign against New York Governor Thomas Dewey, who was favored to win. When granting de facto recognition of Israel, Truman reportedly commented, "I have no Arabs in my constituency." For this reason, General Marshall voted against his President in the forthcoming election.
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