867N.01/6–2146: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt (Tuck) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 22—8:36 a.m.]
1108. Legation received this morning note dated yesterday from Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs reply to Legation’s note No. 128 of June 1 transmitting portent of Dept’s cirtel May 19 and replying that Egyptian Govt had studied Anglo-American Committee’s report in conjunction with states of Arab League and transmitting note containing its observations and recommendations together with translation of memo addressed to US Govt by Secretary General Arab League. Memo from Egyptian Govt contains five general observations followed by specific comment on each of Committee’s recommendations:
- (1)
- After Committee was appointed partiality of portion of Committee towards Zionism was revealed, others were known Partisans of Zionism before nomination.
- (2)
- Committee or certain of its members were designated to ratify a policy established in advance its recommendation of 100,000 Jews coinciding with number recommended by Truman proves absence of logical link between truths which Committee admitted and its recommendations.
- (3)
- Committee by its haste failed to get to bottom of essential questions. It did not give these questions sufficient attention: Arab Nationalism and its right to life and development; Arab League and its right to organize relations between members and to safeguard regional interests.
- (4)
- Recommendations not practical; based on sentiment not study of economic, military and administrative problems emanating from recommendations. Economic project based on unrealizable collaboration. Immigration was recommended before effect on life of Arabs and their legitimate rights was ascertained.
- (5)
- Committee contradicted itself particularly on principles as when it pretended to hold to principles of democracy and of UN Charter at same time it imposes its determined policy on people deserving democratic life and right of decision on their own political fate.
[Here follow specific Egyptian comments on each of the Committee’s recommendations, a statement that it was a manifest impossibility to reconcile the claims of Arabs and Jews, and a discussion of the Arab League’s reply to the Committee report.]
[The comments of the Iraqi Government on the Committee’s recommendations were transmitted by Baghdad in telegrams 347, June 20, 1946, and 354, June 21; those of Abdullah, King of Trans-Jordan, were sent in Jerusalem’s telegram 201, June 19. In general, they paralleled the comments made by other Arab sources. (867N.01/6–2046, /6–2146, /6–1946) In telegram 356, June 21, Baghdad reported an official statement by the Iraqi Government that the Arab states would regard acceptance of the recommendations as an unfriendly act, that the Arab League reserved full freedom of action to resist aggression and that full responsibility for the troubles which would take place in Palestine and other Arab lands would rest on those who upheld and carried out the Committee’s report (867N.01/6–2146).]