Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V, Part 2

501.BB Palestine/8–2748: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom

top secret

Washington, September 9, 1948—7 p. m.

3577. Deptel 3544 Sept 8 para 4. For Ambassador Douglas. Preliminary PGI reaction may be found in Amreptel 94 Sept 7 from Tel Aviv¹ being repeated to you.

Reference Embtel 3962 Sept 3 para 6 and Embtels 3880 and 3881² we have following specific points on our replies in principle contained in Deptels 3468 and 3469 Sept 1.³

Reference para 8 Embtel 3880 we concur but believe as stated Deptel 3187 Aug 12 that in supporting present lines now held in Palestine Mediator should emphasize changes as improvement of Nov 29 along functional or practical lines.

Reference para 9 Embtel 3880 we agree municipal area Jerusalem should be fully autonomous unit under neither Arab nor Jewish sovereignty with UN Governor and token UN guard force. We do not believe line should be demarcated on ground but that existing Arab-Jewish areas should have their own district municipal administration including Arab and Jewish police units respectively. We believe UN Governor should have powers of initiative and veto and that representatives of Jews and Arabs should have seats on his Council, We doubt if Arab and Jewish district municipal administrations can be fused into one municipal authority at this time.

Reference para 10 Embtel 3880 we concur.

Reference para 11 Embtel 3880, we accept in principle idea of Haifa free port area including refinery, oil dock, and pipeline terminals. However we believe UN port commissioner and international police force would constitute undesirable and unacceptable limitation on Israeli sovereignty. We believe it would be sufficient for Israeli Govt to give guarantees re free port area, and that UN observer should be stationed Haifa for time being.

Reference para 12 Embtel 3880, we concur both sides should have access to Lydda Airport as under Nov 29 resolution.

Reference para 13 Embtel 3880, we concur in necessity incorporating remainder Arab territory into adjacent area. However we believe that any frontier rectification in favor Egypt should not give latter control of coastal strip, since access to sea for new Transjordan state appears essential.

Reference para 15 Embtel 3880, we concur that solution Arab refugee problem should be incorporated in Mediator’s proposed settlement.

Marshall

1. Not printed.
2. Both dated August 27, pp. 1354 and 1358.
3. Regarding the latter, see footnote 2, p. 1369.