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Australia and the Birth of Israel: Midwife or Abortionist *
Author(s) -
Adelman Howard
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian journal of politics and history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1467-8497
pISSN - 0004-9522
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8497.1992.tb00680.x
Subject(s) - history , obstetrics , political science , genealogy , medicine
When tlp First Committee of the Special Session of the United Natisrs convened on 6 lvlay L941, they had before them the 2 April request, of Sir Alexander Cadogan of the United Kingdom, to place the question of Palestine on the Agenda and "to make recommendations, under Article l0 of ttre Charter, concerning the fufurc government of Palestine".l In order to expedite the process, Cadogan requested ttre Sectetary-General o convene a special session of the General Assembly to constitute and instruct a Special Committee to prepare a report for the General Assembly, The Commiuce became known as UNSCOP, LINSCOP consisted of eleven "neuEal" countries two Commonwealth nations (Canada and Ausralia), two Eastern European nations (Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia), thtee Latin American counEies (Guatemala, Peru and Uruguay)" two Asian nations (ndia and han) and two Western European nations (Sweden and the Netherlands). IJNSCOP recommended partition by a vote of seven for, three against (they wrote a minority report supporting a federal solution), and one abstention Ausralia. Using that report, a special Ad Hoc Committee chaired by the Rt Honoruable Dr H. V. Evatt, then Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Afiorney-General and Minister for External Affairs, as well as Chairman of the Ausualian Delegation to tlrc UN, recommended partition to the General Assembly. In tlte alphabetic roll call on the vote in the Ad Hoc Committee, even though Ausralia held the Chair, Australia cast the fhst yea vote for partition after Afghanisan voted against and Argentina abstained" On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly votBd by more than a two-thirds m4iority to support partition. Evatt was showered with cables and telegrams from Jewish organisations in Palestine.2 Evan describes how, after the partition vote in the United Nations, the Jewish people and" their supporters' "display of gradnrde towards myself was most touching". Evatt went on to say, with uncharacteristic modesty, that "I had only done what,I believed was just and right as a good United Nations follower".3 Between that declaration of the UN aud the date when Israel was bom on 15 May 1948, Evatt was regarded as one of the champions of Israel. He fought attempts by the USA and the UK to reverse the pro-partition