Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel [Hardcover]

Michael T. Benson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275958078 | ISBN-13: 978-0275958077 | Publication Date: July 30, 1997

Harry S. Truman sensed something profound and meaningful in the Jewish restoration to Palestine, something which transcended other considerations. As the president recorded in his Memoirs, the Palestine question was "a basic human problem." In the end, Truman was willing to go against the current of his most trusted foreign policy advisers, who were absolutely opposed to the establishment of a Jewish state in the Middle East. These advisers argued that however humanitarian a Jewish homeland might seem, such a proposition posed a real risk to American interests in the Near East and to United States national security in the late 1940s. Despite their continued opposition, Truman stood his ground and maintained that he would decide the entire issue based on what he thought was right. Of interest to historians, and students of Israel and of the U.S. presidency.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Benson has done very thorough research, and he does indeed prove Truman's lifelong dedication to the Bible, as well as his morality....What is most notable about this book is its total pro-Israel orientation.”–Journal of Palestine Studies

“Benson has blended the best of political and historical research skills in this work....In clear and lucid writing, [he] makes a powerful argument that neither raison d'etat nor the exigencies of domestic politics are adequate to explain President Harry Truman's decision to recognize Israel.”–From the Foreword by Stan A. Taylor Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University

“A worthwhile and interesting book which makes a strong case for Harry S. Truman's moral considerations in deciding to recognize Israel. Benson's research and writing are exemplary.”–Robert Dallek, Professor Emeritus, UCLA author of The American Style of Foreign Policy: Cultural Politics and Foreign Affairs

“Michael Benson shows the relevance of religion and moral principle to the shaping of an American foreign policy.”–Daniel Walker Howe Rhodes Professor of American History, University of Oxford

“Benson's enthralling narrative captures the drama of high politics while richly portraying the human greatness of Harry Truman. A salutary work which will enlighten and move the reader.”–Noah Lucas, Emeritus Fellow Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies

“An absolute winner. Besides excellent research and lively readibility, Michael Benson's book is a wonderful primer of practical politics as seen through the life and career of Harry S. Truman, among the most powerful decision makers in the history of politics. Truman himself would be proud of Benson's down-to-earth and straightforward discussion.”–Ted Wilson, Director Hinckley Institute of Politics, University of Utah

About the Author

MICHAEL T. BENSON is President of Snow College.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (July 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275958078
• ISBN-13: 978-0275958077
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,383,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel, July 28, 2001

By 

Daniel Pipes, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel (Hardcover)

Everyone knows that Harry Truman provided help to the Zionists because he could count votes, and there were few Arab votes in 1948. That, anyway, is the thesis developed by John Snetsinger in 1974 and since repeated ad nauseum. Well, it turns out not to be true. In a masterful and exciting presentation, Benson proves that Trumans policies resulted not from nose-counting but from deeply-held beliefs. His pro-Israel outlook was based primarily on humanitarian, moral, and sentimental grounds, many of which were an outgrowth of the presidents religious upbringing and his familiarity with the Bible. Extensive research into Trumans biography and earlier career shows his impressive consistency. Benson, of the University of Utah, establishes Truman as a studious child and deeply religious young man who, when he unexpectedly found himself in the Oval Office, lived faithfully by his precepts. In the case at hand, he expressed sympathy for Zionism as early as 1939 and reiterated his views many times subsequently. Trumans determination had great importance; of the many momentous issues in his presidency, he personally involved himself most directly with what he called the puzzle of Palestine. In Bensons words, these personal interventions against the entirety of the American foreign policy establishment constantly rescued the Jews from defeat. The author concludes that the standard account of Truman risking U.S. security interests for cheap political advantage is deeply unfair to this most moral and honorable of American presidents.

Middle East Quarterly, September 1998

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Intriguing Look at the Influence of Religion on Politics, July 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel (Hardcover)

Most of us in America presume that religious convictions are checked at the doors of our governmental offices. Benson's book articulates exactly how Truman's deep religious convictions guided--even determined--the U.S. policy toward Isral, leading to the official recognition of its independence. Without that recognition, the Nation of Israel might not have lasted a week--let alone 50 years.

This book is a slightly modified version of Benson's Oxford University Ph.D. dissertation. There he studied Modern Middle Eastern History.

As an academic work, the research is absolutely unmatched, with dozens of references and footnotes for each chapter. The author interviewed several prominent people who knew Truman and participated in the development of the policy toward Isreal.

More importantly, however, the book is accessible to any well-read student of American History. Anyone who is a fan of Truman will love the book; those not already enthusiastic supporters of the! late President, will likely become such after reading Benson's account.

In a country where well over 90% of the population awows a faith in God, it should be reassuring to know that a leader's faith influences his politics and policy-making.

3 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dirty Harry a man of deep moral conviction?, April 19, 2002

By 

Richard T. Osborne (Mauriceville Texas (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel (Hardcover)

While the author heaps truckloads of eulogies about "honor, integrity and deep moral convictions" on a man whom Gen. Douglas MacArthur should have hanged as a traitor, the fact is, it was Truman's flagrant disregard for the U.S. Constitution that gave him the "fortitude" to support the invasion of a foreign nation. The 1st Amendment, as we all know, clearly states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." While everyone is at liberty to endorse and support whatever religious cause or organization they choose, our government is supposed to remain neutral on such matters. As was the case with Harry "atomic bomb" Truman, left wingers always refer to the first amendment when it serves their purpose to subvert our institutions but always flagrantly violate it when it is convenient for them to do so. To refer to Harry Truman, who was directly responsible for the systematic slaughter of American soldiers during the Korean War, the Massacre at Hiroshima, the betrayal of China to his Communist friends, the communising of Europe, as a man motivated by deep moral conviction, humanitarianism, etc, is enough to make anyone puke.