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

501.BB Palestine/1–149: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Special Representative in Israel (McDonald), at Tel Aviv

top secret

Washington, January 3, 1949—5 p. m.

us urgent

3. Re ur 1 Jan 1 and unnumbered Jan 1, 11 a. m.¹ Dept surprised at comments made by Ben Gurion, Weizmann and others on your representations based on Deptel 281 Dec 30.² Plse make it clear to them and others directly concerned that there should be no misconception in minds of Israelis as to purpose these representations. It was as indicated Deptel 281 to stop a move with most serious implications which Brit were contemplating. Another purpose was to avoid if possible Brit rearming of Arabs which Brit apparently determined carry out if all Israeli forces not promptly withdrawn from Egypt. It is clear from your two reftels as well as your Weeka No. 1³ that Israeli forces had in fact advanced into Egypt in considerable force and to considerable distance.

US has great strategic and other interests at stake in NE and PGI therefore has no just grounds on which to resent fact that US should react strongly to any action either by Israelis or Arabs containing threat of enlargement of conflict.

You should in fact state that we are making strong representations Egyptians re Egyptian acts complained of in your unnumbered Jan 1, 11 a. m. and 6 Jan 3.⁴ Have also requested Brit make similar representations.

Israelis therefore should only draw simple conclusion that US representations are directed toward composing situation promptly.

Ref last sentence your Jan 1, 11 a. m. re “serious responsibility” US may have incurred through your representations Dept considers that full responsibility rests with parties who are engaging in military operations contrary to SC resolutions.⁵

Lovett

1. Regarding the latter, see telegram 2 and footnote 1, p. 595.
2. Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. v, Part 2, p. 1704.
3. Sent as telegram 5, January 2, not printed.
4. Latter not printed; it reported information from Foreign Minister Shertok that on the evening of January 2, an enemy plane, presumably Egyptian, dropped three bombs over Jewish Jerusalem. The message also stated that the Provisional Government of Israel expected the United States to make “very urgent and stern representations to Egypt” concerning this first bombing of Jerusalem (867N.01/1–349).
5. A marginal notation indicates that this telegram was cleared at the White House with Clark M. Clifford, Special Counsel to President Truman. It was repeated to London as 12. On the night of January 4, Mr. McDonald handed a paraphrase to Mr. Shertok who “expressed pleasure Dept’s explanation. He volunteered information that Israel troop withdrawal was ordered afternoon December 31, that officer in charge asked 24 hour leeway, that withdrawal began January 1 and by morning January 2 ‘not an Israeli hoof remained in Egypt’.” (telegram 10, January 5, noon, from Tel Aviv, 501.BB Palestine/1–549)