78. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)1
Washington, February 12, 1968.
SUBJECT
- Getting Israel to Accept UN Resolution
Here is the scenario for our next campaign to bring the Israelis around to accepting the November 22 resolution:
- 1.
- Rodger Davies laid the groundwork with Evron today at lunch by describing Egyptian frustration over Israeli evasiveness. Rodger cited primarily a conversation earlier today with the Egyptian Minister here who also quoted his recent telegrams from Cairo.
- 2.
- Joe Sisco is calling Eppie in this afternoon to go over with him in detail the Egyptian reactions as reported by Don Bergus. NEA rightly feels that IO and USUN should be the ones to do battle on the special considerations of the Israeli position.
- 3.
- Another Goldberg approach to the Israelis in New York would be the logical followup to Joe’s talk with Eppie, but this is not specifically scheduled yet.
- 4.
- A message from Secretary Rusk to Eban has just cleared NEA on its way to the Secretary. It is cast in the general framework of the instructions the President gave the Secretary when Eshkol was here to follow up in finding peace initiatives. It comes down hard on the need for Israel to accept the UN resolution more straightforwardly. It also takes up the Jerusalem problem, starting with the Jordan threat a week ago to take this into the Security Council.
- 5.
- After the Sisco-Evron talk, we will have a clear formulation of the pitch we would like Goldberg to make in New York. State will ask you informally to make the same pitch to Eppie. I will give you something further on this as soon as we have a clear picture of the best line to take.
Hal
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Vol. VIII, Cables and Memos, 12/67–2/68. Secret.↩