Palestinian Rights and the Consequence of Broken Promises

President Joseph R. Biden

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

RE: Palestinian Rights and the Consequence of Broken Promises

Dear President Biden,

It is my understanding that you are a great admirer of FDR. My great-grandfather, Norman E. Mack, was the State Chairman of the NY Democratic Party when FDR announced his run for President. Mr. Mack had a large role in that decision.

As you must know, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a pivotal meeting with King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud on the American cruiser the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal. That 14th February, 1945 meeting was one in which FDR made a promise to the Saudi King that the United States would not support the UN Partition of Palestine. Harry Truman made the same promise, and then broke it two years later for domestic political reasons.

President Truman let someone else tell King Abul Aziz that America was going to renege on that promise. The messenger was my great-uncle, Ambassador George Wadsworth, who was the first US ambassador to the Kingdom of Saud. George Wadsworth had a distinguished career in the US Foreign Service. He also served as US Ambassador to Turkey and Czechoslovakia. He and his wife were briefly held as prisoners of war by Mussolini when they were arrested at the Rome airport during World War Two.

This pattern of bad US Government behavior in the Middle East has continued to this day. No people have suffered more from American dishonesty than the Palestinians. We have never been an “honest broker” in the 73 year conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The fact that your Administration won’t even describe seized West Bank land as “occupied” suggests that you will continue to perpetuate this policy of backing Goliath and stepping on David. I had hoped the Biden Administration would learn from history. This is an example that obliterates such optimism.

Respectfully,

Thomas C. Welch