Speech #790107238

In our own day. in 1917. Great Britain. recognizing this historic connection. issued the Balfour Declaration pledging the development of Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people. In July 1922 the League of Nations gave to Great Britain the mandate over Palestine to facilitate Jewish immigration. and close settlement by the Jews on the land. for the purpose of establishing a Jewish homeland. In September 1922 the Congress of the United States. by joint resolution. gave its recognition and approval to the Balfour Declaration. In 1924 Great Britain and the United States signed a treaty ratifying theBalfour Declaration and the mandate. requiring the assent of the United States to any modification of the mandate. In 1939. contrary to these legal guaranties and.in violation of its agreement with the United States. Great Britain issued a white paper nullifying the terms of the mandate. and closing the doors of Palestine to further Jewish immigration and land purchase. As a direct result of this action. hundreds of thousands were barred from the Palestine haven and left to ruthless slaughter by the Nazis. Protests to Great Britain went unheeded. The excuse was always. "Military expediency." In 1944. however. both the Republican and Democratic Parties. recognizing the great wrong that had been done to- the Jewish people. included in their platforms pledges supporting the opening of Palestine to unrestricted Jewish immigration and the establishment there of a free and democratic Jewish commonwealth. With the ending of the war. the Jewish people had every reason to expect that Great Britain would immediately reverse its whitepaper policy of 1939. Six million Jews have perishedvictims of the Nazis.