357.AC/9–2151: Telegram
The United States Representative on the Palestine Conciliation Commission (Palmer) to the Secretary of State 1
1800. Palun 448. PCC met this afternoon with Israel del. Fischer made following statement:
“I wish again to thank the Comm, in the name of my del, for its welcome to us. It has always been the earnest desire of my govt to see [Page 874] permanent peace established between Israel and her Arab neighbours for the sake not only of the ME but of the World as a whole. My govt is convinced that peace and ME ability in the ME is a vital necessity for the peace of the World. The Israel del has come to this conf for the purpose of negotiating a final peace settlement with the Arab States.
“We have already had an opportunity of making known to the Comm the view held strongly and consistently by the Govt of Israel, that only by direct negotiations between Israel and her neighbours can there be any real hope of achieving peace. This, indeed, is the conclusion which the Comm itself reached last year and which it duly reported to the GA. If the Arabs had any genuine desire for the settlement of the problems outstanding between us, they wld agree to talk these problems over and work out mutually acceptable procedures. They cannot in reason claim to want a settlement, and at the same time refuse to discuss it with the other party concerned. If direct and frank talk is made impossible by the Arab dels continue refusal to meet us and talk things over, I fear our presence here will be of no great profit.
“As a first step towards the achievement of peace my del, as already indicated, is willing to subscribe to a declaration such as that indicated by the Comm, concerning each country’s right of security and freedom from attack, and binding each to refrain from warlike or hostile acts against another and promote the return of permanent peace. We agree entirely with the Comm, if I may use your words, that no constructive progress towards a solution of our problems is possible unless all the parties, at the outset of these discussions here, explicitly accept these obligations. We are prepared here and now to extend to each and every one of the Arab States the offer of a pact of non-aggression. We shld see in acceptance of this offer a real token of the Arab States willingness to work towards the essential goal of this conference—the restoration of peace in the ME.
“The plight of the Arab refugees was the direct result of the hostilities launched by the Arabs themselves against Israel to crush her out of existence at best, and the real claim of the refugees lies against the Arab Govts which sent their armies to invade Israel in cynical violation of their international obligations. I am, however, authorized to state that the Israel Govt is willing to make a contribution to the resettlement of the refugees, but it must naturally insist that such an arrangement be mutual. As the Comm well knows, Israel has taken in some 200,000 Jewish refugees from the Arab States in the past 2 or 3 years, a large number of whom were deprived of their property and assets by the Arab Govts concerned. My del is willing to embark upon a discussion of this question with the Arab States with a view to finding a constructive overall solution to the problem of the refugees.
“We are also willing to take up the question of blocked accounts, though here too it is understood that any discussion of the matter will include the blocked accounts in Iraq of the Jews who have left that country and found admission to Israel.
“The whole emphasis of our efforts rests on the achievement of peace. We suggest that three preliminary steps may well lead us all to this objective. First of all, acceptance by all the parties of a non-aggression agreement along the lines suggested. Secondly, direct negotiations between Israel and the Arab States, in conformity with the conclusion which the Comm itself reached last autumn. Thirdly, before any proposals [Page 875] are considered, an agreement on what are the outstanding problems which shld constitute the agenda of this conference, for it is impossible to envisage that a conference can succeed if the parties have not even agreed, or been given the opportunity to agree, on what are to be the subjects of discussion and on the procedures to be followed.
“If the Arab dels refuse to commit themselves to a policy of peace, if they are unable to say that it is peace they have come here to seek, then, Sir, if we are to be completely frank and realistic, I feel bound to say that this attitude of the Arabs condemns our efforts to failure in advance. If, on the other hand, they are as anxious as we are to pave the road towards peace, they wld find our del happy to meet them in a common effort to achieve this high aim, and I feel certain that success wld not elude our grasp.”
After hearing above statement, and thanking Israel del for continued cooperation, I said that Comm assumed Israel del was now ready receive PCC proposals in accordance with procedure already announced that proposals wld be submitted after dels had had opportunity to reply to Chairman’s opening statement. Fischer replied that Israel Govt had doubts as to advisibility of procedure which had been outlined in the opening statement, but that inasmuch as Chairman had indicated Comm felt now was appropriate time deliver proposals, he was prepared “receive them for transmittal to his govt.” Proposals were therefore delivered to Fischer and following communiqué has been issued with Israel del concurrence: “A meeting between the CCP and the Israel del took place on Friday, 21 September. In the course of the meeting the Israel del reiterated its readiness to cooperate with the Comm.
“After the del of Israel had replied to the statement made by the Chairman of the conciliation Comm at the opening of the conference, the text of the Comm’s proposals, which had been given to the Arab dels on Monday, 17 September, was handed to the del of Israel.
“These proposals will be published after all interested govts have had an opportunity to study them.”
- Repeated for information to London, Ankara, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Damascus, Amman, Beirut, and Jerusalem.↩