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  4. Document 389

320/1–2252: Telegram

No. 389
The Acting Chairman of the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly (Roosevelt) to the Department of State

secret
Paris, January 22, 1952—10 p.m.

Delga 1142. For Hickerson (UNA) from Gross. Re: Suez. Eban (Israel) on instrs from Tel Aviv said his govt is increasingly restless [Page 884] about inactivity SC on Suez res.1 It fears world attention re Suez is focused so much on Anglo-Egypt relations that Israel’s interests in unmolested transit is becoming forgotten. Eban has talked along same line to Jebb. I gather this is first warning of possible Israeli plan to present at Suez ports cargoes or ships openly destined for Israel. If transit refused, Israel would probably raise matter in SC, seeking SC steps to obtain compliance with Sept 1 SC res.

Does Dept want me to talk with Jebb, and if so along what line?

Roosevelt
  1. Reference is to the resolution adopted by the Security Council on Sept. 1, 1951 calling upon Egypt to terminate restrictions on the passage of international shipping through the Suez Canal (U.N. doc. S/2322); for text, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. V, p. 848.↩