93. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, October 1, 1959, 4 p.m.1
SUBJECT
- Israel’s Water Requirements
PARTICIPANTS
- The Under Secretary
- Mr. Levi Eshkol, Israel Minister of Finance
- Dr. Yaacov Arnon, Director General, Israel Ministry of Finance
- Mr. Avraham Harman, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel
- Mr. Aryeh Manor, Economic Minister, Embassy of Israel
- NE/E—Enoch Duncan
- NE—William L. Hamilton
Mr. Eshkol said he had decided to use the opportunity presented by this conversation to emphasize Israel’s need for water as the key factor in their agricultural and industrial development plans as the country begins its second decade. Israel has reached a point at which [Page 206] further progress toward viability depends on its making use of all water available for agriculture and light industry. He urged United States assistance for the proposals outlined in Israel’s July 17 note,2 now under study in the Department, by which water would be conveyed from the Jordan River basin across the Galilean hills to Israel’s coast and thence south to the Negev. He suggested that it is inequitable for the United States to assist Jordan with its diversion of Yarmuk River water, via the East Ghor project, without providing comparable assistance to Israel. Furthermore, he said, the Yarmuk project carried a potential for serious trouble if in drought periods Israel farms in the “triangle,” dependent on the Yarmuk, are deprived of traditional water because of expanded Jordanian usage. The United States, he said, has accepted Jordan’s assurances that Jordan would share the deficiency with Israel in drought periods. He asked if Jordan is more to be trusted than Israel, referring to a statement in the Department’s May 7 note3 that Israel’s Tiberias project could not be separated from its planned projections. Mr. Eshkol seemed to infer that the United States trusted Jordan not to exceed an agreed quota but was not prepared to repose equal confidence in the Israelis.
He asserted that while Jordan could begin taking water from the East Ghor in 1960, it might be as much as four years before Israel would be in a position to take water from Tiberias even if the United States were to lend immediate assistance. He urged an affirmative answer from the United States to the latest Israel note on the question.
Mr. Dillon recalled the question raised in the United States May 7 note as to the compatibility of the Israel proposals with the Johnston Plan. He said that the amplified study contained in the latest Israel note is being given the most careful consideration by this Government. Difficulties remain and the Department’s reply is still not formulated. However, Mr. Dillon said, the Department should be able to respond fairly soon.
Mr. Eshkol then turned to a brief exposition of Israel’s request for $12 million of DLF loan for the “central conduit project.” He explained that this is a pipe of nine-foot diameter which would be constructed initially to carry water of purely Israel origin from the Haifa area in the north to the headworks of the Negev pipeline near Tel Aviv. Eventually, he said, it would be linked with the system which would convey water from the Jordan River to the coastal plain.
The Under Secretary said that he knew of this application but that our consideration of it had just begun.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/10–159. Confidential. Drafted by Hamilton and approved in U on October 9. A memorandum of the part of the conversation on an Israeli application for funds for slum clearance is ibid., 411.844A/10–159. A summary of the conversation, transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 296, October 9, and a briefing paper for it are ibid., 884A. 10/9–2859 and 784A.5–MSP/9–2459.↩
- See footnote 6, Document 85.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 78.↩