Office of the Historian

501.BB Palestine/10–2948: Telegram

The Israeli Foreign Minister (Shertok) to the Secretary of State, at Paris1

Tel Aviv, undated
most immediate

Most respectfully draw your most earnest attention to extreme gravity of situation which will arise if Security Council adopts resolution ordering withdrawal Israel Forces from positions occupied by them in Negev since mid-October. Such withdrawal would amount to act of suicide by State of Israel in respect of area concerned which State of Israel in sheer self-preservation will be unable to commit. Crushing defeat suffered by Egyptian forces in recent brief campaign was brought about by their own wanton aggressiveness, first in [Page 1527] invading Palestine territory, secondly in violating truce by occupying certain position with object of cutting off Israel Negev from contact with north, and finally in openly defying express injunction of UN Mediator to let our convoys pass. Egyptians are thus themselves to blame their present debacle and should not be permitted escape consequences their misguided and defiant aggression. Restoration status quo ante would recreate conditions which were found glaringly unjust and proved intolerable. Moreover, by adopting such resolution Security Council would in effect extend invitatiton to Egyptian Army to send fresh troops across Suez Canal to reoccupy positions which cannot possibly be held by remnants their existing forces.

My government sincerely trusts that it will be spared predicament of finding itself involved in conflict with Security Council as result of resolution with which it would be quite unable to comply if most vital and legitimate interests of Israel and those of eventual peace are to be preserved full. Having acted throughout merely in self-defence we are profoundly convinced that justice is on our side and that any state member of UN similarly placed would be unable to adopt different attitude.

Moshe Shertok

Minister Foreign Affairs Government of Israel

  1. As transmitted by Secretary Marshall for Mr. Lovett in urgent telegram Delga 532, October 29, from Paris. The telegram states that Mr. Shertok’s message was received on October 29 from Tel Aviv but does not give the date it was sent by the Israeli Foreign Minister.

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