Office of the Historian

310.5/1–1653: Telegram

No. 543
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Department of State

secret
secret us routine
New York, January 16, 1953—9:46 p.m.

[Extract]

425. Daily Classified summary No. 140.

. . . . . . .

Palestine

Rafael (Israel), who expects to return to Israel for reassignment at the close of the second part of the GA, told USUN Jan. 16 he had been asked to become a kind of “high commissioner for peace” in the Middle East, with the overall task of directing the new peace initiative. In his view, the Israel Government was in much stronger position now to formulate and carry through concrete plans for settling matters with the Arab governments.

In general, Rafael said, their program would follow the lines of Eban’s (Israel) blueprint for peace as put forward during the GA debate. Plans had been worked out to a certain point in the FonOff and now required inter-departmental consideration.

Rafael stated he would not accept the proffered assignment until he knew what the final program would be. The FonOff thinking was that an over-all plan should be developed to cover every element in the total ME picture, each question to be approached from the standpoint of practical, beneficial appeal to the Arabs’ self-interest, and each to be related to the others.

Specifically, Rafael continued, the blueprint would include the problems of compensation to Arab refugees and territorial adjustments. On both, they hoped now to go beyond the principles involved and set forth detailed propositions.

—Hopes for consultations with US—

Once discussions in the government had reached a concrete form, Rafael hoped consultations could begin with the US. Agreement between the two governments on a program and the implementing measures seemed to him essential to success.

Meanwhile, Rafael hoped the PCC would lie low. He questioned, therefore, the advisability of the PCC sending a communication to the Arab states as had been done last year. This might provoke embarrassing requests from the Arabs which would prejudice later action on the Israeli peace program. He suggested letters to the parties be deferred at least until the end of the GA.

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His delegation planned to seek an early meeting with Senator Lodge to discuss its new approach to ME questions, Rafael said. He expressed great satisfaction over Lodge’s appointment and felt the delegation and administration were in a particularly fortunate situation to take the initiative in the Middle East.1

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Austin

  1. The Department responded on Jan. 29 as follows:

    “Dept heartily supports IG idea to initiate program for peace with Arab states and hopes that this initiative can be exercised soon. Dept would like to be kept informed of particulars and progress but does not wish to become identified as cosponsor IG plans or as having approved them.” (Telegram 272 to New York, Jan. 29; 684A.85/1–2953)

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