Office of the Historian

Interest of the United States in the Arab–Israeli controversy over the future status of Palestine; the issue at the United Nations; creation of the state of Israel; entry of Arab forces into Palestine1

1. Continued from Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. v, pp. 999–1328.

[542] Memorandum by the Department of State to President Truman

Washington, [undated.1]

501.MA Palestine/8–1948

[544] The Consul General at Jerusalem (Macdonald) to the Secretary of State

Jerusalem, August 19, 1948—5 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–1948: Telegram

[545] The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Washington, August 19, 1948—6 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–648: Telegram

[546] Resolution 56 (1948) Adopted by the Security Council on August 19, 1948

August 19, 1948

Reprinted from SC, 3rd yr., Resolutions, p. 24. The resolution was introduced jointly by Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States and was adopted in paragraph-by-paragraph votes. No vote was taken on the text as a whole (SC, 3rd yr., No. 107, pp. 41–49 ff.). Paragraph 2(c) was added to the draft resolution in response to a request made by Count Bernadotte in his cablegram of August 18 to Secretary-General Lie. The cablegram noted that the situation in Jerusalem was gradually getting out of hand; for text, see ibid., p. 40.

Count Bernadotte, in a cablegram of August 19 to Secretary-General Lie, submitted an interim report regarding the demilitarization of Jerusalem, in which he expressed “serious doubts whether demilitarization can be attained in near future”; for text, see SC, 3rd yr., Supplement for August 1948, p. 162.

[549] The Secretary of State to the Legation in Lebanon

Washington, August 20, 1948—8 p. m.

867N.48/8–1948: Telegram

[551] The Secretary of State to the American Mission at Tel Aviv

Washington, August 21, 1948—10 a. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2048: Telegram

[552] The Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Jessup)

Washington, August 21, 1948—2 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2148: Telegram

[553] The Special Representative of the United States in Israel (McDonald) to the Secretary of State

Tel Aviv, August 22, 1948—11 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2248: Telegram

[555] The Special Representative of the United States in Israel (McDonald) to President Truman

Tel Aviv, August 24, 1948—10 a. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2448: Telegram

[557] The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Sweden

Washington, August 24, 1948—6 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2448: Telegram

[558] The Secretary of State to the Legation in Syria

Washington, August 25, 1948—5 p. m.

861.20200/8–1348: Telegram

[559] The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

London, August 25, 1948—8 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2548: Telegram

[561] The Secretary of State to the Consulate at Haifa

Washington, August 26, 1948—3 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2648: Telegram

[562] Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

[Washington,] August 27, 1948.

867N.01/8–2748

[563] The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

London, August 27, 1948—9 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2748: Telegram

[564] The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

London, August 27, 1948—9 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2748: Telegram

[565] The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

London, August 27, 1948—9 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2748: Telegram

[566] The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

London, August 27, 1948—9 p. m.

501.BB Palestine/8–2748: Telegram

[567] Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Truman

Washington, August 30, 1948.

867N.01/8–3048

[568] Department of State Comments on NSC 27

[Washington, undated.]

S/S–NSC Files, Lot 63 D 351

[569] Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Truman

Washington, August 31, 1948.

501.BB Palestine/8–2448

  1. Drafted on August 19.↩