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

501.BB Palestine/6–2349

Memorandum by the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Rusk) to Mr. Matthew J. Connelly, Secretary to the President ¹

top secret

Washington, June 23, 1949.

The Secretary of State hopes to be able to speak to the President about Palestine immediately after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, June 24. The attached papers deal with the points which the Secretary will wish to discuss in the event the President has an opportunity to see them beforehand.

At Tab A is the text of a proposed aide-mémoire² to be handed to the Israeli Chargé d’Affaires in Washington as an informal reply to the Israeli note of June 8, 1949 (Tab B), which itself was a reply to a United States note of May 29, 1949 (Tab C)³ It is felt that it would be desirable to reply to the Israeli note in order to correct certain misunderstandings and points of fact in the event it becomes necessary to publish the exchange at some future date. The proposed aide-mémoire is moderate in tone and indicates the continuation of discussions between the United States and the Government of Israel on the work of the Palestine Conciliation Commission.

At Tab D is a telegram² which it is proposed to send to Ambassador McDonald in reply to the latter’s telegrams (Tabs E and F)⁴ on the question of further military action by the Government of Israel. No new policy question is raised in the proposed telegram but it is believed that the President would be very much interested in the question of possible military action.⁵

1. At the “9:30 meeting” on the morning of June 23 in the State Department, Mr. Rusk submitted a proposed telegram and aide-mémoire regarding Palestine which he requested Secretary Acheson to bring to the attention of President Truman. The Secretary thereupon instructed Mr. Rusk to forward the two papers to the President (memorandum of June 23 by William J. McWilliams, of the Executive Secretariat, to the Secretary, 501.BB Palestine/6–2349).
2. Not found attached.
3. See telegram 322, May 28, to Tel Aviv, p. 1072.
2. Not found attached.
4. See telegrams 471 and 478, dated June 21 and 22, respectively, pp. 1163 and 1165.
5. Secretary Acheson, on June 24, discussed the matter with the President, who approved both documents (memorandum of conversation by the Secretary, 501.BB Palestine/6–2449); for their texts, see telegrams 397 and 398 to Tel Aviv, June 24, pp. 1173 and 1174, respectively.