501.BB Palestine/5–448: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations ( Austin ) to the Secretary of State
567. For Rusk from Jessup. In anticipation of the situation which would be created as of May 15 if no temporary solution is agreed upon by the GA before that date, and if a Jewish and a Palestinian state are then proclaimed, we believe we must be prepared to take a position. The anticipated danger is that the Jewish and Palestinian states might be recognized by various governments.
In particular, Soviet recognition of a Jewish state may be contemplated. Such recognition might afford the Russians a basis for invoking article 51 of the charter and providing assistance to the Jewish state to fend off “aggression”. The plausible legal basis for such a Soviet démarche might be undermined by GA support of the SC truce resolution. A more effective step might take the form of a specific further GA resolution affirming that the proclaiming of any such state as of that date would be a violation of the SC’s truce resolution. A question may be raised as to whether article 25 of the charter would be applicable to that truce resolution. We hope that the Department will be able to give some advance consideration to this problem. Possible desirability of some announcement of position in such a contingency prior to May 15 might also be considered. [Jessup.]