Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XX, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1967–1968

166. Action Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson¹

Washington, May 4, 1968, 1:30 p.m.

Mr. President:

The Jarring mission is running out of steam.

We have two choices: (1) We can make a last-minute effort to get negotiations going under Jarring; or (2) we can wait and face the problem of what to do when he resigns after he has submitted his final report. Doing anything significant either now or later will require some sort of heart-to-heart talk with Israel.

I believe that the situation has now reached a stage where no one but you should decide our course. Doing nothing now may well be a decision to let the Jarring mission die.

Unless you are confident that we are on the right course, I recommend a special meeting soon to hear argument on what our course should be.

Walt

Set up a meeting

No

Call me²

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Jordan, Vol. V, Memos, 3/68–1/69. Confidential. A handwritten note indicates that the memorandum was received at 2:05 p.m.
2. None of the options is checked, but an attached note, dated May 7, indicates that the President instructed that a meeting be set up to consider the problem.