News Division Files
Memorandum of the Press and Radio News Conference of the Secretary of State, Wednesday, September 8, 1948, at Washington
No. 34
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Israel
Asked if any consideration was being given to de jure recognition of Israel, the Secretary said it was being considered very carefully and was a matter of timing. Asked if the timing was up to the State Department or the White House or both, Secretary Marshall said it was up to both, but particularly the White House, since the decision naturally was the President’s. He said that the recommendation was with him. Asked if this meant that he had decided to recognize Israel but had not decided when to do it, Secretary Marshall said that it was the hope of the United States that we could find it proper to recognize the government of Israel in a de jure manner. He continued that final decision would have to be taken in the matter of timing because it has something to do with the elections. Asked if he were referring to the Israeli elections, the Secretary said that he believed that they have elections on October first. A correspondent said that from what had been said it would appear that the Secretary had said that he had decided to recognize Israel after the elections. Secretary Marshall replied that it was hoped that we could. He was then asked if the implication was that it was now premature to extend de jure recognition. The Secretary declared that he would make no more comments.
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