884A.00/3–1551
Memorandum by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Berry) to the Secretary of State1
Subject: Grant Aid to Israel
The following regarding Israel’s request for grant aid is for your information and discussion with the President at your meeting with him today, should you consider such desirable.
On March 22 the Israeli Ambassador submitted a request to you for grant aid in the amount of $150,000,000. Friends of Israel had prepared for immediate Congressional action upon this request, but this was forestalled as a result of the Department’s suggestion to Congressional leaders that such action on the very day of the submission of Israel’s request would have undesirable consequences. You informed the President of Israel’s request and proposed Congressional action on March 23 (Tab A).2
It now appears that a Bill will be introduced into the Congress today or tomorrow authorizing grant aid to Israel in the amount of $150,000,000. In discussing the proposed Bill with Congressional leaders we plan to say that action in favor of the Israel request at this time would be contrary to the security interests of the United States as it will confirm the Arab states in their belief that the United States is not interested in Arab welfare and development, but is solely concerned with the welfare of Israel. The Department has already received protests in this connection from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq.
The Department is in the process of preparing a balanced grant aid program for the area as a whole, which will take into consideration [Page 615] Israel’s needs, although it will not include the full amount of the request the Israel Government has made. This program will be submitted to the Congress within the next several weeks. Hence, special Congressional action for the benefit of Israel would conflict with and jeopardize the Department’s over-all program. Moreover, the bill for the benefit of Israel, planned for introduction this week, would contravene our established policy of objective impartiality toward the States of the Near East as set forth in NSC 47/2 dated October 17, 1949, recently confirmed in NSC 47/5 which received the approval of the President on March 17, 1951. A discussion of this position is contained in my memorandum dated March 15,3 addressed to you (Tab B).
The policy of scrupulous impartiality between Arabs and Jews offers the best hope of bringing about peace and stability in the Near East—to disturb this balance by partial action of the Congress at this time would have serious adverse consequences to the United States, Israel and Arab security.
It is believed that explanation of the foregoing considerations and established policies should now be made to all important officials of the Executive Branch of the Government. NEA believes that it would be helpful if the President would discuss the subject at an early Cabinet meeting and inform the members thereof that aid to Israel must be a part of the balanced program for the Near East as a whole.4
- This document bears a notation in an unidentified hand: “This memo was placed in the Secretary’s W[hite] H[ouse] Book for 4/2/51.”↩
- See footnote 3, p. 606.↩
- Ante, p. 594.↩
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On April 2 Secretary Acheson discussed a number of foreign policy issues with President Truman. Mr. Acheson’s memorandum of the part of the conversation devoted to Israel follows:
“I went over this matter fully with the President. He is fully aware of the danger to American interests in the Middle East which this proposal poses. He agrees that, subject to further discussion between him and me, the matter should be taken up at the Cabinet and that we should begin careful talks on the Hill, pointing out the full implications of what is proposed.
“He suggested also the possibility of having discussions with some leading Jewish groups. He would be glad to do this if it seems wise to us.
“I think that this matter requires further thought and discussion in the Department. I suggest that Mr. Webb get together a small group to go over the matter with me.” (Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 238)
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