28. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State1
Tel
Aviv, July 20,
1958—8 p.m.
80. In conversation with Ambassador Eban2 immediately prior his sudden departure evening July 18 for Washington via London (two days) under urgent orders Prime Minister, he replied to my specific question as to purposes trip in following sense:
His mission covered four main points:
- 1.
- Urge US/UK remain Lebanon/Jordan for some time and until no possible charge half measures. Should resist any pressures to withdraw troops whether from UN or domestic sources.
- 2.
- Urge US give clearer and public security guarantees countries in area, including but not limited Israel. In addition to Lebanon and Jordan he included Sudan, Ethiopia, Iran and Turkey.
- 3.
- Urge establishment some kind permanent machinery permitting consultations and sharing information and transmission decisions on Middle East between US and Israel. This would act as liaison with other Western powers and NATO and would permit intelligence-sharing and coordination on permanent basis.
- 4.
- Urge new look at Israel’s security needs under new conditions of greater threat and heavier drains on Israel economy. Peres, Director General Defense, traveling with him as far as Paris during which will discuss overall military picture; Israel’s justification for military assistance, her contributions and involvement during past week; and means whereby Israel can be of assistance. They will discuss specific lists of equipment especially anti-submarine and “aerial equipment”.
Eban hoped to return to Israel in two or three weeks.
Further details of these and other subjects discussed will be pouched Thursday.3
Lawson
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 601.84A11/7–2058. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London, Paris, Amman, Beirut, Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus.↩
- A memorandum of Lawson’s conversation with Eban was transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 65 from Tel Aviv, July 21. (Ibid., 611.84A/7–2158)↩
- July 24.↩