Flushing Meadows became a focal point of postwar diplomacy on November 29, 1947, when the United Nations voted there to partition Palestine. The proceedings unfolded at U.N. headquarters in what had been the New York City Building at the 1939 World’s Fair; the vote’s narrow outcome and intensely divided reception gave the site significance beyond its role as a meeting place.

Setting

The General Assembly met at the former New York City Building, a structure at Flushing Meadows that had served the 1939 World’s Fair. By the time of the partition debate, it housed the United Nations headquarters. The location brought an international decision into a public civic setting, with delegates and visitors gathered in the lobby and audience as the vote concluded.

The Partition Vote

On November 29, after a dramatic session lasting two and a half hours, the United Nations voted by a narrow margin in favor of partition. The United States had played a leading role behind the scenes in securing support, and the Soviet Union also voted for the measure. Flushing Meadows was thus the immediate setting for a consequential act of international diplomacy, reached through a close vote rather than a broad consensus.

Reactions at the Site

The result produced sharply contrasting scenes within the headquarters. In the lobby, the Jewish delegation was embraced by delegates and visitors from countries outside the Arab world; in the hall, Zionist listeners rejoiced as Arab delegations walked out. The response made the divisions surrounding partition visible in the same rooms where the decision had been made. The site’s significance in the account lies in this conjunction: an international vote, the celebrations of its supporters, and the visible departure of those who rejected it.