Office of the Historian

867N.01/12–644

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Murray) to the Secretary of State

[Washington,] December 6, 1944.

Mr. Secretary: There recently came to our attention a letter, of which I am attaching a copy,60 from Dr. Weizmann the head of the World Zionist Organization to Rabbi Silver in Washington, giving some very interesting information regarding a recent conversation which Weizmann had with Prime Minister Churchill.

The highlights of this conversation were:

1.
The British Government has not yet made a decision regarding the future of Palestine and nothing will be decided until after the end of the war with Germany.
2.
Mr. Churchill, (whose sympathy to Zionism is well known), frankly recognizes the opposition to Zionism within the Cabinet but believes he can carry the day with the support of President Roosevelt. He stresses the need for American participation in the settlement.
3.
Partition is under consideration, but no definite plan has evolved which will recognize the need, which Weizmann claims Churchill recognizes, for bringing one and one-half million Jews into Palestine in the next ten years.
4.
The Prime Minister was very critical of the opposition to Zionism advanced by certain American Jews such as Baruch.61

Dr. Weizmann accordingly urges upon Rabbi Silver that the two following steps be taken by American Zionists: 1) men like Baruch, Secretary Morgenthau,62 Eugene Meyer,63 Felix Frankfurter64 and Ben Cohen,65 should impress it upon the President that while they are opposed to the creation of a Jewish state, they desire unrestricted immigration into Palestine; and 2) a project like that of Dr. Lowdermilk of the American Department of Agriculture for developing Palestine’s resources should be endorsed by the President.

I am sure that you will agree with me that the comments of both Mr. Churchill and Dr. Weizmann regarding American participation in the Palestine settlement are of the greatest significance. We also have in this letter a very clear indication as to the policy which the Zionists are likely to follow in the next few months.

Wallace Murray
  1. Not attached to file copy of memorandum.↩
  2. Bernard Baruch, prominent financier and “elder statesman”.↩
  3. Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury.↩
  4. Editor and publisher of the Washington Post. ↩
  5. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.↩
  6. Benjamin V. Cohen, lawyer; holder of numerous and important legal positions in the Executive Branch of the Government at various times.↩