Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume VI

867N.014/11–2249: Telegram

The Ambassador in Israel (McDonald) to the Secretary of State

secret

Tel Aviv, November 22, 1949—4 p. m.

839. Re Deptels 729 November 18¹ and 672, October 20.² In talk November 21 at residence with Eytan and Comay Ford and I again requested clarification recent Cabinet action re fusion Tel Aviv and Jaffa. After reiterating information given Embtel 808, November 8,³ Eytan said fusion was result of “informal Cabinet decision” and not in form of “decree,” that outside minutes of Cabinet meeting as which “decision” was reached nothing in nature of written document covering fusion existed, and that his government considered move “purely municipal administrative action without political implications.” He added that matter now rests with government committee appointed “to study fusion”, that committee now deliberating move, and that no further step will be taken “to make permanent situation which in fact has existed for many months” until committee renders its report.

Comment: Specifically answering questions Deptel 672, (1) Israel Foreign Office officially confirms “government has decided to form single municipality of Tel Aviv and Jaffa” (Embtel 808), (2) no decree exists according to Eytan, and (3) legal aspects and implications are at present shrouded in careful double talk of which foregoing is example. End comment.

McDonald

1. Not printed.
2. Not printed; it requested official confirmation concerning the reported issuance of a cabinet decree providing for the merger of Tel Aviv and Jaffa (867N.01/10–1849).
3. Not printed; it furnished the text of a letter from the Israeli Foreign Office which confirmed that the Government had decided to form a single municipality out of the two cities. The letter also advised that certain fringe areas formerly in dispute had been incorporated into Tel Aviv earlier in 1949 and that “Since the rest of Jaffa is fully occupied by Israelis, and since its municipal services are in fact provided by Tel Aviv, as an extension of its own, the government’s decision regularizes a situation actually existing.” (867N.01/11–849)