Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 1

784A.00/1–2152: Telegram

No. 386
The Minister in Jordan (Drew) to the Department of State¹

confidential

Amman, January 21, 1952—8 a.m.

203. PriMin in informal conversation Jan 20 emphasized serious view taken by HKJ on recent acts of terrorism carried out by uniformed Israeli soldiers against innocent Jordanians. He is proposing to Cabinet Jan 21 that protests be lodged with SC, signers of tripartite declaration of May 25, 1950² and Arab dels at GA and that as psychological gesture Jordan adhere to Arab League security pact.

Latest Israeli outrage perpetrated Jan 18 when respected resident Batti village working in his garden just over armistice line as authorized by Israel under long standing arrangement peculiar to that village was seized with two grown sons by uniformed Israelis, marched short distance into Israel and all three machine gunned to death at point blank range. In view traditional friendly relations between Jews and Arabs in this village incident regarded with unusual sense of shocked outrage.

Further details will presumably be reported from MAC sources by ConGen Jerusalem.

Drew

1. Repeated to London, Paris (for the Delegation to the General Assembly), Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jidda, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Cairo, and Tripoli.
2. For the statement by the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France of May 25, 1950 regarding armistice borders, see Department of State Bulletin, June 5, 1950, p. 886.