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

784A.02/7–652: Telegram

No. 456
The Ambassador in Israel (Davis) to the Department of State¹

confidential
priority

Tel Aviv, July 6, 1952—4 p.m.

25. Deptel 7, July 3. First para recd in garbled form. Pending receipt corrected text Emb submits fol observations:

Acting FonMin who is PriMin Ben Gurion will not return from Jerusalem until Friday evening, July 11 at earliest. Since it is considered undesirable go Jerusalem purpose deliver note this subj, I propose leave aide-mémoire, after consultation colleagues concerned, with DirGen FonOff Eytan with whom have tentative appointment 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 9.

Emb comment on reftel: Emb notes with gratification Dept decision make démarche on confidential basis and await Israel reaction before authorizing missions inform certain govts. Emb feels however it wld be preferable to authorize all missions to inform govts to which accredited content aide-mémoire orally and confidentially rather than confine such action to any specific group of countries. It is believed important, moreover, that nature of instrs to other missions be made known by Emb to Israel govt. It is our experience that in any case Israelis learn of such action promptly with damage to our reputation of frank dealing. Dept will recall how quickly and with undesirable consequences Israelis learned last year that we had confided expected content May 18 res to Arab League reps.

It is hoped the Dept will agree to slight modification wording of para immediately fol aide-mémoire, beginning “in addition to above” and ending “no present plan for public statement” so that import para retained but certain phraseology believed unnecessarily offensive to Israelis may be avoided. Wld propose modification along fol lines: It is view US Govt that public announcement proposed move of FonOff to Jerusalem cannot have constructive effect on Israel fon relations and on policy interests friendly powers. If, as appears likely, a substantial number of govts represented in Israel regard it as undesirable to move their missions to Jerusalem, considerable difficulty and inconvenience in conduct normal business will result. Present approach being made on confidential basis in hope Israel Govt will find it possible to coop in this matter.²

Davis

1. Repeated for information to Cairo, Jidda, Baghdad, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, London, Paris, Ankara, and Rome.

2. In telegram 17 to Tel Aviv, July 8, the Department approved the modification proposed here except for the last sentence, which was to be eliminated. Instead, the Embassy was at its discretion to inform Eytan that if the Department was asked about its position by interested governments it proposed to reply on a confidential basis along the lines of telegram 7 to Tel Aviv, July 3. (784A.02/7–652)

   Ambassador Davis reported on July 9 that the aide-mémoire was presented at 11 that morning, and that comment was made with the modification authorized in the Department’s telegram 17 of July 8 (telegram 45 from Tel Aviv, July 9, 5 p.m.; 784A.02/7–952).

   In circular telegram 67, July 21, 7:15 p.m., the Department stated that because the Israeli Government had found it necessary to answer a reported Arab broadcast that the U.S. Government had requested Israel not to move its Foreign Office to Jerusalem by issuing a press release (the text of which was not available in Washington), a Department press officer that day read the text of the aide-mémoire to correspondents for background. The Embassy in Israel was instructed to inform the Israeli Foreign Office that the Department regretted this publicity and the fact that Israel had found it necessary to issue a release on the subject. The Missions in the Arab countries were authorized to confirm to the governments to which they were accredited that the U.S. representation had been made to Israel on July 9. (784A.02/7–2152)

   In circular telegram 70, July 22, 5:38 p.m., the Department authorized the release of the text of the aide-mémoire contained in telegram 7 to Tel Aviv, July 3. (784A.02/7–2252) The text was released in Washington in the Department’s press release 576, July 22. (S/P RS files, lot 77 D 9) See also Department of State Bulletin, Aug. 4, 1952, p. 181.