On November 29, 1947, the U.N. General Assembly met to vote on the proposal to partition Palestine. All of Zionist foreign policy was tied to this one moment. Members of the Zionist delegation lobbied continually to ensure that the partition motion was passed. The members of the American Zionist movement were especially instrumental in influencing many wavering delegations to vote for the partition. The final results were as follows:
Supporting the partition:
Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussia (part of the Soviet Union), Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, Union of South Africa, U.S.S.R., U.S.A., Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Against partition:
Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq,Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.
Abstaining:
Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mexico, United Kingdom.
After the vote, Abba Hillel Silver spoke on behalf of the Jewish Agency, saying, "The Jewish people will be forever grateful to the nations which contributed the decision; we're especially appreciative of the leadership provided by the United States and the Soviet Union, and are happy that, in solution of the Palestine problem, these two great powers worked harmoniously together." |
