Office of the Historian

307. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1

Washington,September 26, 1955-5:18 p.m.

1676. We note Sharett’s suggestions reported Tel Aviv 2792 are substantially identical with point a) of Dept’s original proposals outlined Deptel 54 to Tel Aviv.3 Situation is more favorable than it would have been had foreign representatives made these suggestions. We therefore believe Britain, France and other interested countries should now consider accepting Sharett’s suggestions plus other steps [Page 514] proposed by us in July (Deptel 54). London and Paris requested approach FonOffs.4

Hoover
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.84A/9–2155. Confidential. Drafted by Wilkins, cleared in substance with Tyler, and approved by Wilkins who signed for Hoover. Also sent to Paris and repeated to Tel Aviv.↩
  2. Document 295.↩
  3. Document 176.↩
  4. The Embassy in London on September 27 conveyed the substance of this message to the British Foreign Office. Although willing to undertake a reconsideration of the entire question of contacts with the Israeli Foreign Minister in Jerusalem, Foreign Office representatives did not believe there had been any change in circumstances to warrant alterations in the present procedure. (Telegram 1239; Department of State, Central Files, 611.84A/9–2755) The French Foreign Ministry was approached on September 29, and the Embassy in Paris reported that the “French position, as stated earlier, [is] to provide for visits by Ambassadors to Sharett in Jerusalem on understanding he would also receive diplomats in Tel Aviv approximately as often.” (Telegram 1456;ibid., 601.0084A/9–2955)↩