Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1955, Volume XIV

386. Telegram From the Department of State to the Delegation at the Foreign Ministers Meetings in Geneva¹

Washington,November 5, 1955—1:09 p.m.

Tosec 172. Re Tosec 171.² In separate talks today with Israeli and Egyptian Ambassadors,Allen emphasized US support for UN efforts and said US would condemn either nation which started all-out war.³ Both Ambassadors declared on behalf their Governments that their countries had no aggressive intentions and had acted and would act only defensively.

Allen asked Eban whether this meant specifically that Israel would not undertake preventive war no matter how strong Egypt might become as a result of Soviet Bloc arms.Eban answered with positive “yes”, but added that Egypt was becoming more inflated by these arms and consequently more likely to start fighting.

Eban made special point that recent Egyptian action in “digging in” in Demilitarized Zone was first time Egypt had established and attempted to hold position beyond Egypt’s long-established international border sanctioned by armistice agreement.Allen pointed out that even so,GOI had assured General Burns it would not take military action.Eban said GOI could never assure Burns or anyone else that Israel would not defend itself if foreign power “dug in” on Israel soil.

Ambassador Hussein was very unhappy about Department’s position. He said once again US was treating Egypt and Israel on equal plane when Israel was clearly guilty of resort to force in latest incident when fifty Egyptians killed and forty taken prisoner. He said Arab public would be convinced that US supported Israeli action.Allen said US condemned Israeli resort to force and would condemn either side in future. Speaking personally and in most friendly manner,Allen said he thought Egyptians had walked into trap by installing troops in DZ.

Hoover

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/11–555. Confidential. Drafted by Allen and approved by Gordon, who signed for Hoover. Repeated to Cairo, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and USUN.
2. In Tosec 171, November 5, the Department transmitted to Geneva the text of a statement issued to the press that outlined the U.S. position if hostilities began between Egypt and Israel. (Ibid., Conference Files: Lot 60 D 627,CF 619) For text of press release 638, see Department of StateBulletin, November 14, 1955, p. 786.
3. No other accounts of these conversations have been found in Department of State files.