501.BB Palestine/7–1048: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Jessup), at New York
456. For Jessup from Rusk. Following is entirely unofficial and furnished for your consideration during weekend conversations with Cadogan. Bernadotte’s personal report may suggest major alterations. Dept. would wish to have your comments before issuing specific instructions.
Overriding US objectives in present Palestine situation are (1) extension of the truce, (2) negotiated final settlement, and (3) continuance concerted action with UK to maximum extent consistent with US policy. Regarding last point, Dept. welcomes vigorous steps being taken by UK to bring about extension of truce and to impress upon Arabs fact that Jewish State in Palestine is here to stay. Every possible opportunity should be given UK to maintain this initiative as important element toward final settlement. It would be most desirable from US point of view if UK would introduce necessary resolutions in SC; US should be prepared to make concessions on details in order to support UK resolutions directed toward broad joint objectives.
US can support in SC at this time resolution along lines of SC resolution of May 29. Such resolution might afford Arab Govts, opportunity to explain to Arab public opinion necessity for extending truce. Our preference, however, is for a resolution under Chap. VII clearly ordering parties to accept truce since there is some indication action of this nature will be required to force Arab reconsideration.
If such stronger resolution is required, general line your 863 appears preferable to your 859.1 However, it would seem that precise [Page 1210] allocation of responsibility as between Jews and Arabs should be based upon clear refusal to accept a renewed order by the SC to cease hostilities, not merely on public announcements of their respective attitudes toward accepting truce. We see no special advantage in going beyond concept of threat to peace at this stage, connected with a provisional measure to extend the truce, without drawing sharp distinctions among govts, in the operative part of the resolution. Fundamentally, of course, US position remains that set forth in Deptels 3272 and 3313 which were basis for US position before SC passage of May 29 resolution. In any new resolution, SC might apply resolution generally to all parties and then specifically to those which have refused to accept a truce in order to bring all parties within the resolution but at the same time specify those who are now recalcitrant. [Rusk.]
- Dated July 9 and 8, respectively, neither printed; they presented for Department consideration the texts of alternative draft resolutions for possible submission to the Security Council by Mr. Jessup (501.BB Palestine/7–948, /7–848). Regarding No. 863, see footnote 3, p. 1207.↩
- Dated May 26, not printed, but see footnote 1, p. 1027.↩
- Dated May 27, p. 1062.↩