Statement Issued by the White House, February 26, 19471
The impression that has arisen from the debate in the British Parliament on February 25 that America’s interest in Palestine and the settlement of Jews there is motivated by partisan and local politics is most unfortunate and misleading.
The President’s statement of October 4, 1946, which was referred to in that debate, merely reaffirmed the attitude toward Palestine and Jewish immigration into Palestine which the United States Government has publicly expressed since the summer of 1945. This attitude was and is based upon the desire of the President to advance a just solution of the Palestine problem. Our position on this subject was communicated to the British Government by the President in his letter to Prime Minister Attlee on August 31, 1945,2 which was publicly released by the President on November 13, 1945, when he announced [Page 1058] the establishment of the joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry. The statement of October 4, 1946 reiterated this Government’s position, which was already fully known to all parties to the Palestine negotiations.
America’s interest in Palestine is of long and continuing standing. It is a deep and abiding interest shared by our people without regard to their political affiliation.
- Reprinted from the Department of State Bulletin, March 9, 1947, p. 449. The Bulletin caption reads: “U.S. Reiterates Non-Political Concern in Palestine Situation”.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. viii, p. 737.↩