501.BB Palestine/5–1249: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Legation in Switzerland
619. Unpal 98. For USDel, Lausanne. Re US cosponsorship resolution admission Israel (re Palun 1421) Dept concurred view USUN that admission Israel at this session in full accord with Charter and would help settlement Palestine question. US sponsored Israeli application in SC in Paris on Dec. 17, 1948 and again in NY on Mar. 4, 1949. Participation by US among several states to provide formal basis for GA action was not under circumstances of considerable political import whereas refusal to do so would be interpreted as conspicuous shift in our policy amounting to opposition to Israeli membership. Dept believes failure of Israeli application would militate both on Arab and Israeli side against settlement at Lausanne and in later negotiations. Since beginning of Palestine question in UN Arabs have repeatedly delayed acceptance realities of situation until events have moved them far beyond their own best interests. Further, they have intimated privately on several occasions that it would assist settlement if they could be presented with decision with which they would have to comply. When such imposed solutions were arranged, Arabs bitterly opposed and failed to translate such decisions into face-saving formulas for Arab domestic opinion. On Israeli side, Israel is now [Page 1005] in position of having received from us support on all questions on which they are entitled to support and time has now come for them to produce basis for settlement. Dept does not believe that transitory question of joining in cosponsoring resolution affects substantially our ability to press Israel for reasonable attitude. If pressure is required, it must necessarily be more substantial in nature. Lastly, US prestige in UN has suffered through apparent changes of attitude on our part during history of this question. Dept considered we should avoid fresh round of confusion and irritation arising from equivocal position on Israeli membership.
Asst Secy Rusk telephoned Elath in NY Fri night subject refugees and called him into Dept on Wed to press for positive action on refugee question. Rusk insisted Israeli Del Lausanne should leave no doubt in PCC that Israel accepts repatriation as substantial element in solution refugee problem. He also urged that time has come for Israel to take second step presented by Secy to Sharett, namely, to begin actual repatriation prior to final determination of numbers to be repatriated and final political settlement. Elath is expected to furnish Dept with further information on early repatriation of families of Arabs now residing in areas under Israeli control as well as other repatriation which could be accomplished without security threat. Rusk stated it necessary for us to know Israeli views on refugees in order to make our own plans on economic and other matters regarding that area. Also insisted that solution of refugee problem should not be used as bargaining point for problems of boundaries and internationalization of Jerusalem. Elath agreed these issues should be kept separate.
Austin’s statement in plenary session on Israeli membership being repeated separate telegram.