501.BB Palestine/3–549: Airgram
The Minister in Syria (Keeley) to the Secretary of State
A–67. Following communication to Prime Minister (mytel 109 March 51) of Department’s support of PCC invitation to Beirut meeting of Arab states (second paragraph Ethridge’s Palun 62 March 22 and Depcirtel March 3, 5 a. m.3) which Prime Minister said Syria would accept, I took occasion to express my hope that Syrian representatives would respond to Ethridge’s suggestion when [Page 797] here that they eschew generalities and give PCC the benefit of their thinking in specific terms. The Prime Minister assured me that he would be explicit. He said that heretofore two fears had stood in way of complete frankness: (1) Adverse Syrian public opinion which no politician had had courage to face and (2) Probable hostile (UN-backed Israeli coalition against Arabs. Believing firmly that no country could any longer afford isolationism, he has been endeavoring to educate Syrian public opinion in that sense and is determined resolutely to pursue a positive policy of collaboration with West. He recognizes that, as part of the price of effective western friendship, concessions must be made and settlement reached on Palestine issue. Hoping that PCC will be means of assuring Arabs fair settlement, Syria is prepared to cooperate with it in good faith. I told him that I personally was convinced of Ethridge’s integrity, independence and courageous attachment to ideals of justice and felt certain that within realm of realities he would insist upon fair deal to all concerned. I warned him, however, not to expect too much, that Arab and Israeli ideas of justice were far apart as their ideas of justice were undoubtedly wide of abstract justice and that what might be within realm of attainable might well be far from Arab hopes. Yet, in my opinion, best hope of peaceful settlement lay in frank statement to PCC of Arab views and sincere collaboration with PCC in trying to reach satisfactory compromise. I knew, I said, from past statements that Syrians would prefer to throw the Israeli into the sea but continued insistence upon such extremes was unrealistic. “They are there; let them stay,” replied Khalid Bey4 but added that justice to refugees and frontiers is all important and should be realistically faced. In conclusion, the Prime Minister said they would frankly express to PCC their views and hope for justice within realizable limits.
In two-hour exchange of views with President Quwwatli March 3, His Excellency showed more moderation than heretofore and, accepting my appraisal of Ethridge, said Syrians would cooperate with PCC for solution within realm of realities. He no longer contended, as always heretofore, that Syrians would never accept Jewish state in Palestine, but he said it was unrealistic to suppose that any partition boundaries could contain millions of Jews that unlimited immigration would bring to Palestine. Hence guarantees of territorial integrity of Arab neighbors was all important but, in light of recent history, could Arabs be blamed for skepticism as regards any guarantees in sight? Who, for instance, said Shukri Bey, will make the Jews with draw from Western Galilee, seized in violation of truce without even [Page 798] a murmur of protest from the nations that had threatened sanctions? I replied that I believed the Israeli likewise seek peace and to get it would have to make concessions. I also recalled in this connection US position in Item 4 of Deptel 57, February 25. The President thereupon expressed his appreciation of the Department’s policy statement with which he said the Prime Minister had acquainted him. I said that most of it was not new but that perhaps some of these indications of our basic policy of friendship toward the Arab countries had been over looked by the Syrians in their chagrin over what they felt to be our partisanship for the Zionists. It was, however, a timely restatement of those things which showed our friendly feelings for the Arab peoples and our desire to serve the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East. I added that given evidence of Syrian good will, of which Pales tine settlement is a necessary first step, it was my personal belief that US would increasingly give Syria evidence of its friendship, mentioning possibilities in some of President Truman’s statements, including Point Four of his Inaugural Address and, for first time, message given me by the President,5 and which I had not until now found what I considered a propitious moment to deliver, concerning his genuine friendship for the Arabs and what their peaceful cooperation might envisage. Shukri Bey said he believed in President Truman’s sincerity, and he hoped that our two countries could henceforth collaborate fruitfully to their mutual advantage. Again expressing my personal views, I said much would depend upon Palestine settlement and warned him that while I felt Ethridge would stand firm for justice within bounds of attainable, and receive US backing to that end, Syria must not expect that US would abandon its friendly support of Israel; it might only expect an equivalent friendly attitude toward the Arabs, or rather equal friendship to both friends.