501.BB Palestine/10–2348: Telegram
The United States Delegation to the Acting Secretary of State
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Delga 462. Eyes alone for Lovett from Rusk. Political committee decided today by the narrowest of margins to defer Palestine debate for one week.1 This is the last postponement which we can obtain without complete loss of both our self-respect and the respect of others. Prospect is that opening days of Palestine debate will concern itself with procedural matters and that it will not be necessary for us to speak before the middle or latter part of week beginning November 1. Jessup sat for us in political committee this morning and said nothing at all. However, estimate here is that we can expect a very bad press on this point.
Just informed by Dulles that Dewey is releasing letter to Dean Alfange reaffirming Republican platform on Palestine. Any help you can give to keep this from starting chain reaction would be greatly appreciated. [Rusk.]
- This proposal by the Iranian Representative was adopted by the First Committee on October 23 by 19 votes to 16, with 14 abstentions (GA, 3rd sess., Pt. I, First Committee, Summary Records, 1948 p. 243).↩