262A.84A41/9–3052: Telegram
No. 497
The Chargé in Lebanon (Lobenstine) to the
Department of State1
656. From Beirut viewpoint (Embtel 642, Sept 29),2 it appears US Govt has cause for being equally concerned as Federal Republic about Arab reactions to German-Israeli agreement (Bonn 1185, Sept 163 and London 1805, Sept 27).4 In Lebanon, US is receiving brunt of adverse criticism.
Our efforts to convince GOL officials of virtue of German-Israeli agreement as well as our promises to support separate Israeli reparations to Arab refugees are falling on deaf ears. Too much talking [Page 1014] on our part, moreover, will only tend to confirm their incorrigible belief that US coerced Germans into making agreement.
Lebs cite press accounts of frigidity at Adenauer–Sharett signing ceremony and numerous private indications from German Cabinet members and people, as proof that Germans themselves dislike agreement. GOL is especially concerned at Germany’s contributing to up-building of Israel’s heavy industries which may in time be converted for construction of war vehicles for use against Arabs. Iraqi-Syrian-Egyptian mission to Bonn was irrevocably agreed upon at AL meeting in Cairo. Consisting of pro-German Arabs, its purpose will be to propagandize German Parl members against ratification.
While threat of boycott may be carried out even if only on a token or temporary basis, Embassy’s opinion is that there is so much latent pro-German sympathy in Arab world (on basis enemy of their enemy is their friend) that German interests will not in long run suffer irreparably because of agreement particularly while US is such a convenient whipping boy.
- Repeated to London, Bonn, and Cairo; sent by pouch to Paris, Tel Aviv, Baghdad, Damascus, Amman, and Jidda.↩
- Telegram 642 from Beirut, Sept. 29, summarized Lebanese editorial comment on the West German-Israeli agreement of Sept. 10. (262.84A41/9–2952)↩
- Document 487.↩
- Not printed.↩