Office of the Historian

501.BB Palestine/10–2347: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State

secret
us urgent
New York, October 23, 1947—7:08 p. m.

1075. Following decisions taken at Delegation meeting this morning:

1.
The question of Palestine:
a.
The Delegation agreed that discussions with the British should be undertaken with a view to shortening the two-year transition period proposed by UNSCOP so that independent states would be set up by July 1, 1948, with the assistance of a UN commission as the agency of transfer.
b.
The Delegation approved the details of the proposed territorial modifications of the Majority Plan of UNSCOP (Doc US/A/AC.14/114),1 with the following qualifications:
(1)
With respect to the modification of the boundary of the western Galilee area to include Safed within the Arab state, it was agreed that an attempt should be made to give certain mountainous territory to the Jews in compensation, by moving the boundary line to the west near Lake Tiberias.
(2)
With regard to the proposed changes in the Gaza area, it was agreed that the proposed alterations should not be pressed unless both Jews and Arabs agreed.
(3)
The proposal for inclusion of the southern Negeb in the Arab state was accepted in principle.

[Here follows paragraph numbered 2 which deals with a matter other than Palestine.]

Marshall
  1. Dated October 22, not printed.↩