U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognizes Israel as a legitimate Jewish state [May 14, 1948]

Former U.S. President Harry S. Truman was the first world leader to officially recognize Israel as a legitimate Jewish state on May 14, 1948, only eleven minutes after its creation. It was met with pushback by his own State Department and marked the start of a relationship between the United States and Israel that has lasted more than 75 years, with president after president reiterating U.S. support of the Jewish state.