Office of the Historian

867N.01/1–2649: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Legation in Saudi Arabia

confidential
Washington, January 29, 1949—6 p. m.

37. Dept now preparing instr to you for discussion overall relations US–SAG, but feels that certain questions raised your 68 Jan 261 shld be answered immediately as follows:

1)
You shld unequivocally state to SAG officials that US Govt has brought no pressure whatever on UK to recognize Israel. Only representations to UK have been concerned with recent shooting down of RAF planes over Egyptian-Israeli border, and these were made to both Israel and UK in effort to avoid incident developing into major proportions. Greatest pressure on UK has been that of Brit public and parliamentary opinion.
2)
US arms embargo has been rigidly maintained. While some war material has been successfully smuggled out of US, quantity has not been large, and wherever possible participants have been prosecuted and material confiscated.
3)
US attitude re Israel was clearly stated in UN by Dr. Jessup on Nov. 20 to effect that US supported Israeli claims to boundaries set forth UNGA resolution Nov 29 but believed that if Israel sought retain additional territory in Palestine it shld give Arabs territorial compensation.
4)
We would not support any attempt by Israel to occupy any Arab state and would fully support any measures taken by UN to protect territorial integrity such State.
5)
With regard to allegation of incursions Israeli planes over SA territory, Dept interested know whether SAG has brought matter to attention of Acting Mediator.2

Acheson
  1. Not printed; it transmitted an oral communication by Yusuf Yassin on behalf of King Ibn Saud. The communication stated that the United States was continually supporting and assisting the Israeli State; that under United States pressure, the British were starting to incline toward the Israelis; that the Soviet Union was openly extending military aid to Israel; and that the United States was also doing so, openly or secretly. The communication then queried concerning the attitude of the United States toward Israeli aggression (867N.01/1–2649).↩
  2. Jidda, on February 1, answered in the negative concerning the Department’s query in paragraph 5 (telegram 80, 867N.01/2–149).↩