The Phoenix Jewish news., 1951-07-27

Deborah Metz the many per-
sonal asid e S
which will have special meaning for
Phoenix readers of "My Mission to
Israeli" the story of two and a
half years in the life of DR.. Nc
Donald, a stalwart friend of the
Jewish people long before his mis-
sion began.
We felt in June, 1948, when his
appointment as Americas first
minister to Israel was announced,
that he was the ideal man for the
post. Skilled in diplomacy, al
though not a state department
career man, he had gathered valu-
able background and experience as
League of Nations High Commits
sioner for Refugees and as men,
ber of the Anglo-American Com
mittee of Inquiry on Palestine.
We wondered, when his resigna-
ton was announced two and half
years later, whether or not certain
forces hostile to Israel were re-
sponsible for his leaving. This and
many other questions are answered
by DR.. Mcdonald in his behind-the-
scenes account of IsraePs begin
nings as a state.
The story has been told many
times before, but Mcdonald has
much to add for he tells us of:
The duties of an American am
bassador, his relationship to his
President, and his formal and in
formal meetings with Israel's
The relationships within the dip
lomatic corps, and closeup of the
Soviet ambassador and his attitude
toward Mcdonald ..
Pope Plus XII's personal COM
ments on Israel -.
Portrait of David Ben Gurion
and Chain Weizmann-a study in
contrast =.
Count Bernadotte's assassination,
and the Israel reaction-"Jerusa-
lem lay under curfew; all roads
leading into and out of the city
were closed; all ports, harbors and
airfields were shut down tight; and
isolated in it's own agony, Israel
| x lLSC1 1O1 OIAO AAO1AOW oAA0
what it would bring -"
The proposal to internationalize
Jerusalem, and the attitude of state
department officials =" "Coh n
(Benjamin V. Cohen) argued that
the Assembly resolutions for inter-
naturalization were more favor
able to Israel than it's representa-
tives seemed to think. He listened
with sympathy when I argued in
turn that it would be- difficult, if
not impossible, to implement this
proposal, but l doubt that I con-
vinced him. 1t came to me then,
as so often before, how many dis
tinguished Jews lack a clear un-
derstanding of the situation in
Israel"
In concluding his story, DR.. Nc
Donald ventures a few predictions.
One in particular is noteworthy:
Israel has an instrument it has
not yet exploited. This is the Jew
ish heritage of which it is the only
official spokesman. If Israel plays
the role, as | believe it will, not
merely of a small peace-seeking
power, but that of positive and
fearless advocate of international
Justice, it will be heard in the coun-
ellis of the nations with an atten-
tion altogether disproportionate to
it's SIZE"
The young state has now been a
member of the United Nations for
two short years. In that time it
has spoken out forthrightly and i'm
pressively whenever justice or
peace has been challenged, and UN
delegates have come to admire and
respect her representatives and the
government behind them. There
fore it has come about that many
of Israel's recommendations re-
garding the Korean war have been
seriously discussed and have
formed a part of the background
of recent armistice negotiations.
There is no longer any doubt
that DR.. McDonald's prediction will
come true, and sooner than he
dreamed. Surely he is one of those
valued friends of Israel who will
have had a significant share in its
fulfillment.
ADMISSION ACCOMPLISHED?
Between now and Aug. Ia, the
] all-but-forgotten anniversary of
the end of World War II, many
Americans will ponder President
Truman's statement of this week:
"Since it's birth in September,
1949, this (Western) German gov
ernment has shown steadily in