Australia and Israel – A Pictorial History.pdf
It was a long business; it took more than three months, we had all the voices prophesying no decision, that nothing would be done… But they rather made a mistake in that, because as far as Australia was concerned and I was concerned—and I was acting in the fullest accord with Mr Chifley, the Prime Minister—we were determined to make the United Nations face up to its responsibilities and come to a decision. If we had slackened our efforts to obtain a decision we would have been hailed as great statesmen by the people there, [t]here would have been no United Nations decision; there would have been no Israel or, at any rate, the decision would have been postponed indefinitely.
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The Initiatives and Influences in the Development of Australian Zionism, 1850-1948.pdf
Zionism ANZ | Encyclopedia.com.pdf
Central Zionist Archives – Archive of Australian Judaica.pdf
HV Evatt and the Establishment of Israel.pdf
Australia’s Role in the Establishment of Israel AJHS 21(1) 2012.pdf
Safe Haven – Records of the Jewish experience in Australia.pdf
Australia’s Part in the Creation of Israel AJHS 5(4) 1961.pdf
A Good International Citizen – H V Evatt, Britain, the United Nations and Israel, 1948–49.pdf
First principles – H.V. Evatt and the Jewish homeland (Gouttman 1987).pdf
H V Evatt and the Establishment of IsraelDOWNLOAD
Dr Herbert V Evatt and the creation of the State of Israel
The Foreign Minister of Australia, Dr Herbert Vere Evatt, played a pivotal role in the events which lead to the establishment of the State of Israel, resisting immense pressure from powerful forces which were opposing this outcome by any means necessary.
In September 1947 Britain, exhausted and demoralised by the unravelling political situation in Palestine, declared herself unwilling to proceed with the Mandate, turning over the matter to the United Nations.
To deal with the problem, a special committee, the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was formed by a motion moved by Australia. It would consist of eleven nations and exclude the Big Five. Dr Evatt, who suggested this format, was elected chairman.
UNSCOP’s brief was to adopt ‘the widest powers to ascertain and record facts and investigate all questions and issues relevant to the problem of Palestine’. This included a visit to the Displaced Persons camps in Europe, still holding 250,000 survivors of the Holocaust.
Dr Evatt, was also elected chairman of a second group – the Ad Hoc Committee. This consisted of all the members of the United Nations, each having one vote.
Evatt was given the power to nominate two sub-committees – one which would argue the case for a unitary state in the area of Palestine, and one which would argue the case for partition into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.
Evatt’s own position is made clear from this quote:
‘We really have to choose between recommending a scheme of partition on the one hand and a complete Arabian unitary state on the other, the latter state puts 600,000 Jews at the mercy of the Arabs.’
As Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Evatt decided that a vote should be taken, in order to bring to an end the stalling and prevaricating by countries not wanting to face up to the consequences of voting for one side or the other. Heavy pressure was being brought to bear to influence the outcome.
The ensuing vote in the Ad Hoc Committee was in favour of the partition scheme, but this decision had to come before the General Assembly where a two-thirds majority was required. The vote for partition was eventually taken in the General Assembly, achieving the required majority.
Because of the subsequent increase in violence in Palestine after the vote to partition was made by the Ad Hoc Committee, and subsequently also by the General Assembly, the United States government sought to nullify the vote and revert to an unresolved system of trusteeship.
In his condemnation of the U.S. attempt to overturn the decision to partition, Evatt wrote “In my opinion, the U.N. decision has been gradually undermined by intrigues directed against the Jewish people’.
He said ‘Australia was now strongly committed to the decision for partition because it was the decision of the United Nations and one thing vital to the United Nations was that it should adhere to its decisions’.
Dr Evatt and Prime Minister Chifley protested strongly against the United States proposal to revert to trusteeship and the idea was overwhelmingly defeated. The decision in favour of a Jewish State of Israel therefore held.
But there remained the question of recognition. Australia, under the stewardship of Dr Evatt, was one of the first nations to give full recognition. On this Evatt stated that ‘Australia’s decision to fully recognise Israel was as inevitable as it was just. The legal basis of Israel’s existence was unassailable and rested on a decision of the Assembly, and it is the established policy of the Australian Government and the Australian Labour Movement to give unwavering support to the decisions and principles of the United Nations’.
Membership of the United Nations was the next hurdle, membership being granted by a decision of the United Nations, specifically a recommendation by the Security Council followed by a vote in the General Assembly.
As Assembly President, Dr Evatt took his advocacy of Israel’s case further by urging for its admission in the face of a concerted campaign to blackmail countries which were tending towards voting for Israel’s membership.
The General Assembly, by an enormous majority ratified the decision of the Security Council to admit Israel as a member state. Dr Evatt commented that ‘Israel has come to stay, will carry out the U.N.’s decisions and will be a powerful force for peace and justice within the United Nations’.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, delivered his maiden address and paid tribute to Dr Evatt, then completing his Presidency of the U.N. for his ‘outstanding roles at decisive stages of the treatment of the problem of Israel by the United Nations.’ Sharett also wrote to express the ‘undying gratitude of our people’. The distinguished Professor of International Law, then at Harvard, Professor Julius Stone, praised Evatt on achieving ‘yet another miracle’.
To the press in Australia, Evatt said ‘if I were asked what I considered the most significant moment of my Presidency of the General Assembly, I would say it was the admission of the new State of Israel as the 59th member of the world organisation.’ At a banquet held in his honour Evatt said ‘because we stand for justice we stand for Israel’.
That partition came to be recommended and voted upon at all by the General Assembly must be attributed to Evatt’s chairmanship of the Ad Hoc Committee, because international reluctance to endorse any solution was palpable and the obstacles to partition in particular were numerous.
Evatt succeeded in bringing a vital UN issue to a definite conclusion when the organisation’s standing and effectiveness were in doubt. He made it his business to ensure that it adhered to its decisions when powerful forces sought to reverse them.
As President of the UN he campaigned successfully for the seal to be placed on his labour by Israel’s admission to the community of nations.
Referring to Herbert Evatt, one UN representative from Poland said ‘Now there’s a great man for you! Without him the Israelis never would have got in. He bullied, pleaded, cajoled, coaxed until he got the right numbers for them. He made himself their advocate and but for him the victory of their soldiers would have been taken away again’.
Addressing another banquet held in his honour in Australia, Dr Evatt said ‘What I did to bring about the decision for setting up a Jewish state in part of Palestine was not an act of favour to the Jews but (was done) because I firmly believe in the justice of the Jewish case.’
Notable Australian Zionists wrote to Prime Minister Chifley to express gratitude for ‘the immeasurable contribution made by Dr H.V. Evatt and the Australian government’. Chaim Weizmann, first President of Israel, thanked Evatt ‘for his great services to Israel’.
With acknowledgement to the research of Daniel Mandel in his treatise H.V. Evatt and the Establishment of Israel.
Recent attempts by Ruth and Bob Magid OAM to ensure Israel officially honours Dr Evatt, albeit posthumously and (very) belatedly
Acquisition of Aircraft in the U.K. and Europe – World Machal
| Country | Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| USA | ~1500 | |
| UK | ~1000 | |
| South Africa | 832 | Machal video |
| Canada | ? | |
| Australia | ~20 | Australian Government threatened to revoke passports. |
| Total | 3,500 | All countries 1500 were killed |
Machal Documentary Promo (5 mins)
MACHAL – Volunteers from the Diaspora in 1948
“Seeking Treasure Island”: the purchase of arms and aeroplanes in Australia, 1948 – 1949 – J-Wire
| 123456789101112 | > Name: Daniel Agronsky> Address Overseas: 49 West 53rd Street, New York, U.S.A.> Occupation: Journalist> Date of Birth: 10.1.1922, New York> Passport issued: Jerusalem, Palestine, 17/3/49> Height: 5’ 11”.> Marital Status: Married> Hair: Brown> Eyes: Brown, wears glasses> Race: Jewish> Length of stay. Three months> Wife: H. [Hassia] Agronsky, at present, Hotel San Giorgio, Rome |
U.S. Diplomatic Missions in Jerusalem
| Country | Period | Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1933-39 | 7,000 | |
| 1940 | 1,500 | (Dunera) | |
| 1945-54 | 17,000 | ||
| 1954-61 | 10,000 | ||
| (Australia total) | (35,500) | ||
| Israel | 1945-48 | 2,000 | Aliyah Bet |
| 1948+ | 150,000 | Incl. Cyprus detainees. | |
| USA | 1945-52 | 80,000 | |
| Canada | 1945-48 | 8,000 | |
| 1948-55 | 40,000 | ||
| UK | 1945-55 | 2,000 | |
| South Africa | 1945-55 | 1,500 | |
| New Zealand | 1933-45 | 1,000 | |
| 1945+ | Very few |
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‘Doc’ Evatt: An enduring legacy
‘Doc’ Evatt- An enduring legacy – The Australian Jewish News.pdf