684A.85/1–2852: Telegram
No. 393
The Chargé at Jerusalem (Parker) to the Department of State1
102. Jordan–Israel MAC delegations have informally agreed to two-week trial starting midnight Jan 30 of plan originally proposed by De Ridder some months ago for peaceful handling infiltration and minor border incidents. Each side promises (1) take extraordinary measures such as stronger border patrols and closer supervision village head men to prevent its people infiltrating, (2) arrest and return home for punishment all unarmed and peaceful infiltrators rather than shooting them, (3) return all goods stolen by infiltrators, (4) settle all minor disputes on local commander level rather than in MAC. If procedure proves workable will presumably continue indefinitely after trial period ends.
As evidence their desire cooperate in proposal, Ramati informs me Israelis are replacing notably “trigger-happy” units now on frontier and who, he inferred, were responsible Battir incident (Contel 100, Jan 22),2 with less ferocious troops during trial period, but if trial is unsuccessful “because Jordanians fail to cooperate” trigger-happy units will probably return to border area with orders to shoot on sight anything that moves. He informed me Israel must take “whatever means necessary” to prevent infiltration into Israel and implied, as he did when questioned about Beit Jala incident, that end justifies means.