501.BB Palestine/5–2748: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State
719. Text of Soviet and UK resolutions1 introduced this afternoon in SC are being transmitted separately.
Soviet resolution closely parallels our resolution of May 17. We feel we must give it our unqualified support. Since it was introduced first [Page 1068] it will have priority and we propose to attempt to have it given priority in the discussion at the beginning of the Council meeting in the morning before the UK resolution is discussed. The defeat of the Soviet resolution under present circumstances seems certain.
After this has occurred we would be free to discuss the UK resolution on its merits. We recommend that the US give it our general support in the same way that we gave the British Chapter VI amendment our support after our Chapter 7 resolution of May 17 was defeated. We would place special emphasis in supporting the British resolution on the last paragraph, which commits the Council in principle to take action under Chapter 7 if this effort fails.
There are a number of minor points in the British resolution which have arisen in discussions here and which have occurred to us may require modification. In regard to the last paragraph, as reported by Jessup to Rusk on the telephone, the UK instructions apparently contemplated stronger language for this paragraph along the line that the Council might have to apply sanctions to any party who refused to carry out orders of the SC under Chapter 7.
Beeley informs us that they wish to leave the impression in the minds of both sides that this would be the case, but that they wished to leave this question open in the resolution. They apparently do not wish to commit themselves at this time on exactly what form of Chapter 7 action they are prepared to take. There are some indications that the delegation at least is thinking in terms of general embargo applied to both sides without undertaking to assess which party is in the wrong.
Re paragraphs 3 and 4 of the UK resolution regarding the introduction of military personnel and the importation of war material into Palestine, the British admit that there may be difficulties of enforcement. They contemplate that perhaps 20 or 30 military observers should be supplied to the Truce Commission to help them carry out their task of supervision. They contemplate that personnel and supplies arriving in Israel after the date of the cease-fire may cause real practical difficulties, for example as to how the personnel should be handled and whether the material should be unloaded or held in bind, etc. They admitted the validity of the argument which the Jews will probably raise concerning the inequity of allowing the Arab states to continue to import war material and mobilize additional armed forces on their frontiers, while the Jews were not in a position to do likewise. They made it quite clear that this resolution was not intended to prevent them from continuing the supply of the Arab states under their treaties. Beeley indicated, however, that he thought the UK might be prepared to accept modification of these paragraphs so that they would call on all states to ban exports during the cease-fire period, [Page 1069] thus requiring Britain to temporarily cease shipments to the Arab states.
Will attempt to secure views JA on British proposal this evening and report further.
- See supra and infra, respectively.↩