501.BB Palestine/9–2148: Circular telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices 1
SecState released following statement on Palestine in Paris at 4 p. m. Paris time (11 a. m. EDT), Tuesday, Sept 21:2
“The US considers that the conclusions contained in the final report of Count Bernadotte3 offer a generally fair basis for settlement of the Palestine question. My government is of the opinion that the conclusions are sound and strongly urges the parties and the General Assembly to accept them in their entirety as the best possible basis for bringing peace to a distracted land.
“No plan could be proposed which would be entirely satisfactory in [Page 1416] all respects to every interested party. The UN has endeavored to achieve a solution by peaceful adjustment and entrusted the task to its Mediator, Count Bernadotte. He energetically, courageously and with a spirit of complete fairness, we feel, canvassed all the possibilities and proposed as his last contribution towards a world of peace a sound basis for settlement. He gave his life to this effort.
“The complexities of the problem and the violent emotions which have been engendered are such that the details of any plan could be debated endlessly. As a matter of fact, the debate on this question has been carried on for years in almost every kind of public forum. It is our sincere hope that the parties concerned will realize that their best interests and the interests of the world community will be served by accepting in a spirit of fair compromise the judgment of Count Bernadotte.”
- At Arab capitals, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.↩
- Mr. Lovett, in a memorandum of September 21 to the White House Message Center for the attention of Mr. Clifford, sent the text of the Secretary’s statement and advised of the date, time, and place of release (501.BB Palestine/9–2148).↩
- Released on September 20.↩