501.BB Palestine/6–748: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Egypt
niact
740. For your info we are most favorably impressed by note whose text was reproduced in your Niact 692, June 7,1 and you may tell Bernadotte that we feel his approach to the parties is both statesmanlike and firm. Other missions to which this telegram is repeated are authorized if occasion warrants to inform govts and authorities to which accredited of the foregoing view and to add that we very much hope that Count Bernadotte’s cease-fire proposal will be unconditionally accepted by noon GMT, June 9.
British Embassy has just informed us that a telegram dated June 6 has been received from British Ambassador, Cairo, indicating that American Chargé d’Affaires at Cairo had stated he had not yet informed Bernadotte of our interpretation of Articles 3 and 4 of SC resolution, May 29. This interpretation was set forth in Deptel 2015, May 31, to London, repeated to Cairo as 682. Although you were authorized by Deptel 690, June l,2 to inform Count Bernadotte of our interpretation of these two articles it would seem now, in light of satisfactory interpretation contained in Bernadotte’s note as reported your Niact 692, June 7, that it may not be necessary to give Bernadotte our views on this point. We feel in particular that interpretation set forth in sixth paragraph of his note is reasonable and should be accepted by both sides. In essence his view regarding men of military age accords with our own: namely, that there should be no increase in military potential during period of cease-fire.3
Repeated to London as 2129, Paris as 1997, Brussels as 878, USUN as 371, Jerusalem as 556, Haifa as 120, Beirut as 315, Damascus as 214, Baghdad as 198, Jidda as 225.
- Not printed; it transmitted the text of Count Bernadotte’s note of June 7 to the Arab states and the Provisional Government of Israel, with the request that it be passed to the United Nations (501.BB Palestine/6–748). For summary, see editorial note, p. 1102.↩
- This was a repeat of 350 to New York, June 1, p. 1086.↩
- The Department, on June 8, conveyed to the Consulate at Haifa a message from Mr. Eban to Foreign Minister Shertok which stated that “Washington” regarded the Mediator’s proposals as reasonable and assumed that he would exercise his discretion fairly and equitably. The message also advised of the hope of the United States that both parties would accept a cease-fire on these bases. Mr. Eban had requested the United States Delegation at the United Nations to use its good offices to see that his message was communicated immediately to Mr. Shertok because of his uncertain communications facilities with Tel Aviv (telegram 123, 501.BB Palestine/6–848).↩