23. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel1
945. Following is for background use US officials only and should be given strictest Noforn treatment:
FYI. At end May Department asked through USUN for views UN Secretariat re rights parties Scopus area. We have now received detailed report which states inter alia:
- 1)
- On May 20 Chief of Staff UNTSO informed UNSYG Israel civilian police patrols on Scopus had become noticeably more aggressive and had extended their activities.
- 2)
- Extension Israel patrol activities involved: (a) interference with civilian inhabitants Issawiya (b) patrolling of gardens adjoining Hebrew University on Mount Scopus (c) interference with movement villagers Issawiya on road Jerusalem; stopping all Arab traffic on this road.
- 3)
- Both Bunche and Chief of Staff have urged Israelis review patrol policy and instead of sending patrols draw to attention UNTSO representative for Scopus any Arab activities which they consider as creating problem of security. Nevertheless encroachments Israel police patrols have continued.
- 4)
- It is clear Chief of Staff UNTSO takes view road from Issawiya to Jerusalem which passes Hadassah Hospital is available to villagers inasmuch as he has protested closure of road to Israelis. End FYI.
Embassy Tel Aviv should by appropriate means give Israelis to understand that while we do not wish to assess degree of blame on either party reason USG has not admonished HKJ along lines proposed by GOI is our belief that Israel can not avoid considerable measure responsibility for build up of current tensions.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/6–1658. Secret. Drafted by Bergus, cleared in draft with UNP, and initialed for Dulles by Rockwell. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem, and USUN.↩