>1946 Joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry
Ben Gurion Addressing the Committee
The Joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry was established to find a solution for the Jewish Survivors in Europe and the future of Palestine
In Europe, following World War II, hundreds of thousands of Jewish survivors found themselves in displaced persons camps, primarily set up in Germany. The living conditions in these camps were substandard, and the majority of the refugees aspired to relocate to Palestine— a move obstructed by the British. The US State Department initially supported the British stance. However, the situation began to shift when Harry S. Truman became President. Truman was sympathetic to the Jewish desire to establish a homeland.
In his memoirs, Truman expressed the following thoughtful sentiments:
I had familiarized myself with the history of the question of a Jewish homeland, and the positions of the British and the Arabs. I was skeptical about some of the views and attitudes assumed by the 'striped pants boys' in the State Department. It seemed to me that they didn't care enough about what happened to the thousands of displaced persons involved. It was my feeling that it would be possible for us to watch out for the long-range interests of our country, while at the same time, helping these unfortunate victims of persecution to find a home.
Truman dispatched Earl G. Harrison to Europe to visit the DP (displaced persons) camps and report back on the conditions and potential solutions. Harrison’s report vividly described the dire conditions in the camps and stated that a minimum of 100,000 individuals needed to be relocated from the camps as soon as possible. Moreover, Harrison highlighted in his report that "Palestine is definitely the first choice.“
Truman endorsed Harrison’s findings and reached out to British Prime Minister Attlee, advocating for Britain to allow 100,000 Jews into Palestine. Truman stated: "The main solution appears to lie in the quick evacuation of as many as possible of the non-repatriable Jews, who wish it, to Palestine. If it is to be effective, such action should not be delayed.“
Truman’s letter surprised Attlee and caught him off guard. Attlee took two weeks to respond, declining the request. He noted Britain’s need to consider Arab perspectives and asserted that Jews had not endured more than non-Jewish victims of the Nazis. On November 2nd, Attlee further inflamed matters by writing, "If the Jews, with all their suffering, want to get too much at the head of the queue, you have the danger of another antisemitic reaction through it all."
The Jews responded vigorously to Attlee's stance. The Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi established a joint command under Haganah leadership. They initiated effective assaults on British installations throughout Palestine, bringing the rails to a halt, breaking into British armories and to seize weapons, sinking small British ships, and among other actions. In response to escalating tensions and to address Truman’s concerns more constructively, the British proposed the formation a Joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry. This committee was tasked with investigating the plight of the refugees and devising potential solutions. The Joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry was made up of Six Brits and Six Americans.
Here are the names of several of the Joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry members —
Americans:
• Joseph C. Hutcheson, Jr. – A distinguished judge who served as the Committee's chairman.
• Frank Aydelotte – The American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust and former president of Swarthmore College.
• Bartley C. Crum – An attorney who later wrote about his experiences on the committee in "Behind the Silken Curtain."
• James G. McDonald – First U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a former League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
• William Phillips – A career diplomat who served as Undersecretary of State.
• Frank W. Buxton – A newspaper publisher from Boston.
British Members:
• Sir John Singleton – A judge who served as the Vice Chairman of the Committee.
• Richard H.S. Crossman – A Labour Party politician and future Cabinet minister, known for his diaries.
• Sir Frederick Leggett – An official of the British Ministry of Labour.
• Sir Harold Morris – A judge and legal expert.
• Sir Henry L. Gurney – A British colonial administrator.
The Joint Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry first met in New York, where they heard testimonies from both Jewish and Arab representatives. They then visited the DP camps in Germany, before traveling to Cairo and Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, they heard testimony from Jamil al-Husseini against any further Jewish immigration to Palestine, and then from Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion in favor, who also provided their vision for a future Jewish state in Palestine.
On May 1, 1946, the Committee issued its report, highlighting the dire conditions of the camps and then stating, "We know of no country to which the great majority can go in the immediate future other than Palestine." It went on to recommend the immediate admission of 100,000 refugees into Palestine. The committee was less clear regarding the overall future of Palestine. Truman expressed his support for the report, provoking strong displeasure from the British, who were enraged.