784A.5/12–2850
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Officer in Charge of Palestine, Israel, and Jordan Affairs (Rockwell)
Subject: Israel’s Participation in Defense of Near East.
| Participants: | Mr. Kollek, Minister, Embassy of Israel |
| Col. Herzog, Military Attaché, Embassy of Israel | |
| General Burns, Department of Defense1 | |
| Mr. Rockwell, NE |
Messrs. Kollek and Herzog invited General Burns and myself to lunch today. During the course of the meal the two Israelis made the following points:
- 1.
- For a long time, the Government of Israel had suffered under the illusion that it could maintain a policy of “non-identification” with either the East or the West. The worsening international situation, and the attitude of the USSR, had revealed the fallaciousness of this position, and the Israel Government was now convinced that the only hope for its salvation lay with the West. It was accordingly prepared to offer the West full cooperation, in return for participation in one form or another in Western plans for the defense of the Near East, and for the benefit of Western aid in the event of a major conflict affecting the area.
- 2.
- The Israel fighting force was a good one. It consisted of a standing army of between thirty and forty thousand men, and of trained reserves numbering about two hundred thousand. In the event of a crisis this army would be prepared to fight for the defense of the Near East. Moreover, Israel was prepared, in the event of a crisis, to see Western forces use Israeli facilities, such as Haifa Harbor and Lydda Airport.
- 3.
- The Israelis realized, from their experience and participation in the last war in so far as it was fought in the Near East, that it is essential to make plans well in advance if a crisis is foreseen. Therefore, they urgently desired that their country at once begin to be taken into consideration in connection with Western defense plans for the area. They also desired to do what they could as soon as possible to assist in these defense plans.
- 4.
- In this connection, Mr. Kollek and Col. Herzog referred again to the proposed use of Israeli arms production facilities for the benefit of the West. Mr. Kollek, in response to a request I had made the day before, gave me a paper elaborating upon this proposal. The paper [Page 1085] in question2 is attached to this memorandum. Mr. Kollek maintained that the arms producing proposal was something which could be carried out fairly soon and which would not depend upon unity between Israel and the Arab states. US control of the raw materials to be used should assure anyone who might be uneasy lest Israel use the increased production for warfare against her neighbors. Mr. Kollek suggested that if anyone were skeptical about the efficiency and productive ability of Israel’s small arms manufacturing facilities, it would be easy to verify this by sending one or two experts quietly to Israel to look into the matter. He was of the opinion that ready use for the armaments produced could be found in Greece, Turkey, and Iran.
- 5.
- Col. Herzog said that the Israel Army wished to exchange its Czech weapons for weapons of US manufacture, in order that there should be greater standardization along US lines. He speculated that the present Czech weapons, which conform to those used by the German Army might be used by the US in equipping Western German divisions. Col. Herzog also desired that more training opportunities for Israeli officers be made available in this country. He expressed gratification for the increase offered to Israel this year over last year.
- 6.
- In conclusion, Mr. Kollek said that if the US should say to Israel that the UK had primary responsibility for the defense of the Near East and that the Israelis should therefore consult with the UK, this would be quite all right with the Israelis. At least they would know where they stood, and, although in dealing with the UK there was an important psychological barrier to overcome and the assistance of the US would certainly be needed, he believed that a satisfactory arrangement could be worked out. The important thing was that the time is short and that it was essential to make plans as soon as possible, preferably with the US but anyway with the US or the UK.
General Burns asked a number of questions concerning the size of the Israeli army and the technical qualifications of Israeli arms-producing facilities. He expressed the opinion that Israel was definitely on the side of the West, and said that there was no doubt that the Israeli fighting forces would be a valuable one. The General added that he would see that action was expedited on a memorandum which the Israeli Embassy had sent to the NME outlining the means by which Israel Could be helpful to the West in the military sense.
I expressed personal interest in the arms-producing proposal which Mr. Kollek had outlined. I added that it should be apparent to any student of the recent history of the Near East, and to any observer of military realities, that the UK had a primary role to play in the defense of the Near East, and that any plans which the US might have for this defense would certainly involve cooperation with the UK.