Israeli requests for arms and economic assistance; the question of refugees, the problem of Jordan River water diversion; and Prime Minister Ben Gurion’s visit to the United States, March 9–13, 1960


31. Memorandum of a Conversation, Embassy Residence, London, July 27, 1958, 10 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 1061. Secret. Drafted by Rountree. During this meeting, Eban and Dulles also discussed Israeli cooperation with the Sudan. A memorandum of this part of the conversation is ibid.


32. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to Prime Minister Ben Gurion

Source: Department of State, Conference Files, Lot 64 D 559, CF 1613. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 108, August 1, which is the source text, for delivery personally to the Prime Minister.


33. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5411/8–258. Secret. Drafted by Bergus, cleared with Rockwell, and initialed for Dulles by Rountree. Repeated to London, Moscow, and Paris.


34. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5411/8–258. Secret; Niact. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, and London. Received at 8:26 p.m.


35. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, August 3, 1958, 3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5411/8–358. Top Secret. Drafted by Rockwell and initialed by Rountree. At a 10 a.m. meeting with the British Minister, it was decided that Dulles would ask Eban to call and would “strongly protest” the Israeli decision. (Memorandum of conversation; ibid.)


36. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, August 5, 1958

Source: Department of State, IO/UNP Files: Lot 59 D 582, Israel—General. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton on August 6 and approved by Herter.


37. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.56/8–2258. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton on August 15; initialed by Rountree and Dillon; and sent to Dulles through W and S/S. Concurred in by James. M. Wilson, Jr., Reinhardt, and Leffingwell of the Department of Defense. On August 20, 1958, the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs passed responsibilities for relations with African nations to a new Bureau of African Affairs.


38. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, September 10, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/9–1058. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton. A briefing paper for this conversation is ibid., 784A.56/9–1058. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 225, September 10. (Ibid., 784A.56/9–958)


39. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, October 2, 1958, Noon

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/10–258. Top Secret. Drafted by Rockwell and initialed by Rountree. A briefing paper for this meeting is ibid., 033.84A11/10–158. A summary of this conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 293, October 2. (Ibid., 784A.56/10–258) Foreign Minister Meir was in the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly.


40. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.56/10–258. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton; cleared with W/MSC and MC; initialed by Rountree; and sent through S/S and Herter. The source text is also initialed by Herter and bears a notation that Dulles saw it. A note attached to the source text states that Dulles had certain reservations about recommendation 2 which he discussed with Rountree on October 12. A memorandum of their telephone conversation is infra.


41. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Rountree), Washington, October 12, 1958, 10:40 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. No classification marking.


42. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, October 17, 1958, 1:45 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/10–1758. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton on October 21 and initialed by Rountree. A briefing paper for the meeting, October 17, is ibid. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 310, October 18. (Ibid., 784A.56/10–1858) Following the discussion of the arms request, Eban and Rountree talked briefly about the situations in Tunisia and Iraq. A memorandum of this part of the conversation is ibid., 780.00/10–1758.


43. Memorandum of a Conversation, Washington, October 21, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/10–2158. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Murphy.


44. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/10–3158. Secret. Drafted by Rockwell on October 30, initialed by Rountree, and sent through S/S.


45. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to Foreign Minister Meir

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/10–3158. Secret. Transmitted in telegram 341 to Tel Aviv, October 31, 9:39 p.m., which is the source text. At 5:46 p.m., Dulles had called Rountree to say that he was “dubious about sending the message to Ben Gurion.” Rountree replied that he had given quite a bit of thought to the matter before recommending it. Dulles suggested that the message go to the Foreign Minister instead and Rountree agreed. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations)


46. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/11–458. Secret; Priority. No time of transmission is on the source text. Received at 8:29 a.m.


47. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Dillon) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 70 D 229. Secret.


48. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 21, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/11–2158. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom, initialed by Newsom and Ludlow, and approved by Herter on December 2.


49. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 26, 1958, 3:30 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/11–2658. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton. See also infra. A briefing memorandum for the meeting with Eban, November 25, in Department of State, Central Files, 680.84A/11–2558. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 405, November 28. (Ibid., 684A.85/11–2858)


50. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 26, 1958, 3:30 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/11–2658. Confidential. Drafted by Hamilton. See also supra.


51. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/11–2858. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Gamon; cleared with Ludlow, Rockwell, and EUR; and signed for Dulles by Walmsley. Repeated to USUN.


52. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 1, 1958, 12:30 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/12–158. Confidential. Drafted by Ludlow. Prior to this conversation, Carver met separately with Wilcox, Rountree, and Dillon. A memorandum of the conversation with Wilcox is ibid. No records of the other two conversations have been found. A briefing memorandum for the meeting with Acting Secretary Dillon, November 29, is ibid.,NEA Files: Lot 70 D 66, UNRWA 1958.


53. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 4, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 330/12–458. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Gamon. See also infra. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to USUN in telegram 520, December 5. (Department of State, Central Files, 330/23–458)


54. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 4, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/12–458. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Gamon. See also supra.


55. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86B/12–1158. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Rockwell and cleared by Walmsley and UNP. Also sent to Cairo and repeated to Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, London, USUN, and Amman.


56. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86B/12–1358. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, London, USUN, and Jerusalem. Received at 8:09 a.m.


57. Letter From the Israeli Ambassador (Eban) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86B/12–1258. No classification marking. Attached to a memorandum of a conversation between Meroz and Rockwell, December 12. Meroz remarked at the time he gave the letter to Rockwell that it had been written before Baxter’s démarche in Tel Aviv; see supra. Eban also sent a copy of the letter to Lodge with an appeal for a definitive statement by the United States against artillery bombardments of peaceful villages. (Telegram 454 from USUN, December 13; Department of State, Central Files, 330/12–1358)


58. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Ambassador to Israel (Lawson) and the Israeli Ambassador (Eban), Ambassador Eban’s Residence, Washington, December 14, 1958

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 61 D 59, Egypt, Israel, 1958. Confidential. Drafted by Lawson, who had returned to the United States in November for consultations.


59. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.84A/1–1759. Secret. Drafted by Hamilton on January 15; initialed by Rountree; and sent through S/S. A handwritten notation on the source text indicates that Dulles saw it.


60. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Israeli Ambassador (Eban), Department of State, Washington, January 19, 1959, 4:05 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 686B.87/1–1959. Secret. Drafted by Dulles. Dulles and Eban also discussed Soviet Deputy Premier Mikoyan’s visit to the United States beginning January 4 and an Israeli request for financial assistance from the DLF. Memoranda of these parts of the conversation are ibid., Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199.