501.BB Palestine/11–2847: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Chile
569. Saudi Arabian Delegation UN claims as result pressure United States Govt, Chile has decided change its vote against partition Palestine to vote for partition.
Saudi Arabian Delegation previously informed United States firmly supported majority report and in conversation with other delegations had made United States position clear, but we were not exerting “pressure” on other delegations change their votes.
In order Saudi Delegation may be appropriately informed would appreciate any comment you might care make with regard Saudi allegation regarding Chile.1
- The Embassy in Santiago informed the Department in airgram A–541 on December 2 that “President Gonzalez Videla, personally, and certain members of the Govt sympathetic to Jewish cause. Chilean representative on Palestine Committee therefore instructed to vote in favor of partition Palestine. However, important Arab groups residing in Chile exerted sufficient pressure on political parties to cause Radical, Liberal, and Agrarian Labor Parties to issue resolutions urging Chilean Govt to either change its position on Palestine question or abstain from voting. The result was that, although in the Committee Chilean representative talked and voted in favor of partition, in the final voting Chile abstained. According to UndSecy FonAff, Egypt asked for Chile’s support, but it was never granted; consequently, even if the United States had exerted pressure, the final result was unfavorable to the United States, since Chile, instead of voting in favor, abstained.” (501.BB Palestine/12–247)↩