357.AC/7–1150
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. John W. Halderman of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs
Subject: Palestine
| Participants: | General Riley |
| Mr. Hare | |
| Mr. Berry | |
| Mr. Wilkins | |
| Mr. Rockwell | |
| Mr. Halderman, UNP |
General Riley came in on July 5, having just returned from Palestine. He opened the conversation expressing regret that the PCC has decided to go to Jerusalem. He expressed the view that the Commission is without standing and can perform no useful functions in the future. His principal reason for not wishing to have it go to Jerusalem seemed to be that this would delay preparations for the General Assembly. It came out rather obliquely that he advocates Assembly action to have the functions of the Commission transferred to the MAC’s. He expressed the view that the PCC has been in a dead end street in attempting to deal with the Arabs jointly, ever since it met with those governments in Beirut last year. Mr. Hare pointed out that the Commission had no choice in this matter since it was the decision of the Arabs themselves to act in concert. It was also noted that the PCC has endeavored to encourage direct negotiations between the parties and that its recent efforts to establish committees envisioned bilateral committees under Commission chairmanship. General Riley agreed with the general proposition that the Commission has been unable to make headway because the parties themselves were not yet ready to come to an agreement, even on a negotiating basis.
As to the proposal to transfer the conciliation function to the MAC’s General Riley himself remarked at one point that this was basically no different from the Commission’s proposals to form joint committees of the parties of the dispute. This is because the MAC’s are formed by agreement of the parties themselves and any change in their terms of reference would have to be agreed to by them. Asked whether he had any indication that the Arabs would agree to this procedure, General Riley answered negatively. He seemed to think, however, that [Page 950] between now and the General Assembly, and during the Assembly, we might try to persuade the Arabs to do so. He said that Dr. Bunche was inclined to favor the transfer of function to the MAC’s simply on the theory that if one approach fails we should try another.1
General Riley said that several Jewish representatives had talked to him about returning to Jordan one hundred thousand dunums of land in the Hebron area (about 40 square miles) provided that a certain number of refugees were settled in that area.
General Riley informed us that Israel is demanding that the Victoria Augusta Hospital in the Mt. Scopus area be closed unless they are allowed to use the Hadassah Hospital in the same area. The PRA has opened Victoria Augusta and it now has about 300 patients. General Riley says that he might be compelled to comply with the Israeli demand since the use of Victoria Augusta is contrary to the terms of the truce agreement covering Mt. Scopus.
- The Department, on June 29, informed USUN of its attitude toward the suggestion by Andrew W. Cordier, Executive Secretary to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to transfer the functions of the Palestine Conciliation Commission to the Mixed Armistice Commissions. The Department indicated it had two preliminary doubts: first, any expansion of the terms of reference of the MAC’s “wld require agreement parties to dispute on bilateral basis and wld involve same issues which prevented formation joint committees under PCC auspices.” Additionally, the suggestion raised a question concerning the desirability and practicality placing this additional function on MAC’s which were established for entirely different purpose, are fully occupied with these duties, and have personnel adapted for the purpose.” (Telegram 339 to New York, 357.AC/6–2950)↩