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

501.BB Palestine/11–2748: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

top secret

Washington, December 1, 1948—6 p. m.

4485. US attitude re territorial settlement Palestine (ur 4996 Nov 24 rptd Gadel 928, Delga 971 Nov 27¹ rptd London 1376) based on view matter is one for settlement by negotiation, either directly bet parties or through Conciliation Commission, and upon premise that modifications of Nov 29 boundaries of Israel should be made only if fully acceptable to Israel. If Israel desires addition to territory alloted her under Nov 29 resolution, i.e., Western Galilee and Jaffa, US position is that Israel should relinquish part of Negev to Arab States.

If Israel should relinquish Western Galilee and Jaffa, desiring retain all of Negev, US would support Israel in this position. If Israel should desire additions to Nov 29 territory, and should through direct negotiations or through Conciliation Commission reach agreement with Arab States as to portion of Negev to be exchanged for such additions, US would support such agreement, regardless of what boundaries of Israel thus agreed upon would be.

Present view US Govt is that in event Israel should retain Western Galilee and Jaffa, it would be desirable that southern Israeli border be extended to thirty-first parallel within that portion of Negev allotted to Israel under Nov 29 resolution. Portion of Negev thereby made available to Arab States might be divided between Transjordan and Egypt, giving Transjordan access to sea and assuring land communications between Egypt and Transjordan.

If Brit FonOff still attaches considerable importance to access to sea for Transjordan (ur 5031 Nov 28²) Dept gathers there is little likelihood FonOff will approve UKDel’s suggested Auja-Beersheba line.³

Lovett

1. Neither printed; the former reported information from the Foreign Office that the British Delegation at Paris had recently raised with the United States Delegation the question of the precise territorial objectives the United States and the United Kingdom were aiming for in Palestine and that the Foreign Office was extremely interested in the suggestion (501.BB Pales tine/11–2448).
2. Not printed.
3. Telegram 4485 was repeated to Paris as Gadel 640.