Ask the Scholar
Page 5 of 6
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
- 4 -
I MEMORANDUM
2/2/50
The proposed "Corpus Separatum would be an island city
state (entirely Jewish in its inhabitants) squeezed in between Israel
and Transjordan. As is known, the principal foreign land owner in
Jerusal em is the Soviet Union, through the Russian Orthodox Church
with which it has made a concordat. For all practical purposes, thus
the Soviet Union and the Russian Church can now be regarded as one.
The new city of Jerusalem, internationalized, would have no
access to the sea. It would be dependent in every conceivable respect
on the good will and the practical assistance of its neighbours. Water,
cnaalisation, food supplies, communications, health, fuel and every other
requirement of a modern city would have to be provided from outside.
The Governor could not maintain his regime for a single day of the
neighbouring Jewish and Arab States were not disposed to supply
him with his most essential needs. He could not bring in any
provisions or any personnel without their consent. His jurisdiction
would extend only over a very small area; and his policementen would be
supplied by the Security Council on which Russia now sits and on which
China has a. "permanent seat".
He could not pursue any criminal offender across the narrow
frontiers of his limited realm. He would have to set up all the
legislative, executive, judicial, educational, heath and social
institutions of a modern state for the benefit of a population of
150,000. He would have to build up an economically self-sufficient
regime in a city which from time immemoriali has been dependent on
support from outside. Jerusalem detached from the State of Israel
would literally relapse into the state of poverty, stagnation and
physical insecurity which was its lot during the centuries prior
to the mandatory regime.
The only significant concern which the world at large has
in Jerusalem is the protection of its holy Shrines and the provision
of free and secure access to 271 who wish to visit them and to worship
there.
The bulk of these shrines are not situated in the Jewish area
of Jerusalem (the new city) but in that occupied by the military forces
of Transjordam.
Nearly all the holy shrines of Christianity -- about 95% --
are situated in the Old City within the Walls which is not controlled
by Israel but by King Abdullah.
In the Jewish area of Jerusalem (the new city) there are
only two Christian Holy Places, both of them situated on Mount Zion;
the Church of the Dormition and the Convent of the Cenaculum. All the
other holy Shrines are in the Old City, which forms not more than two
percent of the whole area of Jerusalem.
The State of Israel, through its President and Cabinet, assured
Page data
- Page
- 5
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 0339b0d0bfaea6e5
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 269702377
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "269702377",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702377",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Letter from President Harry S. Truman to President Chaim Weizmann, with Related Material",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702377",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 6,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "269702377",
"label": "Letter from President Harry S. Truman to President Chaim Weizmann, with Related Material",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702377"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "269702377",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702377",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Letter from President Harry S. Truman to President Chaim Weizmann, with Related Material",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702377",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 6,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702377",
"naId": 269702377,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 5,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750310/750310-33-005.jpg",
"mediaId": "0339b0d0bfaea6e5",
"ocrText": "- 4 -\nI MEMORANDUM\n2/2/50\nThe proposed \"Corpus Separatum would be an island city\nstate (entirely Jewish in its inhabitants) squeezed in between Israel\nand Transjordan. As is known, the principal foreign land owner in\nJerusal em is the Soviet Union, through the Russian Orthodox Church\nwith which it has made a concordat. For all practical purposes, thus\nthe Soviet Union and the Russian Church can now be regarded as one.\nThe new city of Jerusalem, internationalized, would have no\naccess to the sea. It would be dependent in every conceivable respect\non the good will and the practical assistance of its neighbours. Water,\ncnaalisation, food supplies, communications, health, fuel and every other\nrequirement of a modern city would have to be provided from outside.\nThe Governor could not maintain his regime for a single day of the\nneighbouring Jewish and Arab States were not disposed to supply\nhim with his most essential needs. He could not bring in any\nprovisions or any personnel without their consent. His jurisdiction\nwould extend only over a very small area; and his policementen would be\nsupplied by the Security Council on which Russia now sits and on which\nChina has a. \"permanent seat\".\nHe could not pursue any criminal offender across the narrow\nfrontiers of his limited realm. He would have to set up all the\nlegislative, executive, judicial, educational, heath and social\ninstitutions of a modern state for the benefit of a population of\n150,000. He would have to build up an economically self-sufficient\nregime in a city which from time immemoriali has been dependent on\nsupport from outside. Jerusalem detached from the State of Israel\nwould literally relapse into the state of poverty, stagnation and\nphysical insecurity which was its lot during the centuries prior\nto the mandatory regime.\nThe only significant concern which the world at large has\nin Jerusalem is the protection of its holy Shrines and the provision\nof free and secure access to 271 who wish to visit them and to worship\nthere.\nThe bulk of these shrines are not situated in the Jewish area\nof Jerusalem (the new city) but in that occupied by the military forces\nof Transjordam.\nNearly all the holy shrines of Christianity -- about 95% --\nare situated in the Old City within the Walls which is not controlled\nby Israel but by King Abdullah.\nIn the Jewish area of Jerusalem (the new city) there are\nonly two Christian Holy Places, both of them situated on Mount Zion;\nthe Church of the Dormition and the Convent of the Cenaculum. All the\nother holy Shrines are in the Old City, which forms not more than two\npercent of the whole area of Jerusalem.\nThe State of Israel, through its President and Cabinet, assured"
}