Office of the Historian

867N.01/5–1448

The Secretary of State to Mr. Eliahu Epstein, at Washington

Washington, May 14, 1948.

Dear Mr. Epstein: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of May 14, 1948 and to inform you that on May 14, 1948 at 6:11 p. m., Washington time, the President of the United States issued the following statement:

“This Government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested by the provisional government thereof.

“The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new State of Israel.”1

Sincerely yours,

G. C. Marshall

  1. Marginal notation by Mr. Henderson on May 17: “Original handed to Mr. Epstein on his call at the Department today.” For Mr. Henderson’s account of the considerations governing the preparation of the Department’s reply to Mr. Epstein, see his memorandum of May 16 to Mr. Lovett, p. 1001.

    A photographic copy of President Truman’s statement, showing his signature and date and time of approval, together with the handwritten changes penned in at the last moment, is presented in Bernard Postal and Henry W. Levy, And the Hills Shouted for Joy: The Day Israel Was Born (New York, David McKay Company, Inc., 1973), between pp. 206 and 207.

    ↩