Office of the Historian

320.2 AA/2–753: Telegram

No. 560
The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Department of State1

top secret
Cairo, February 7, 1953—1 p.m.

1803. Ministry [Minister] Foreign Affairs told me last night he has in mind possibility of eventual agreement with Israel. He is aware that refugees will never go back to Israel in very large numbers and that they should be settled in Arab states. He said “we are willing to take as many as we can if UNRWA can find workable projects in Sinai”.2

Caffery
  1. Repeated to London, Paris (for Reinhardt), Rome (for Unger), Tel Aviv, Ankara, and the Arab capitals.↩

  2. With reference to this telegram, Ambassador Caffery reported in telegram 1819 on Feb. 10 as follows:

    “Having in mind what he has said to me several times recently Ministry Foreign Affairs asked Ralph Bunche on Saturday to tell Sharett that Egypt is willing to envisage eventual settlement with Israel on lines of resettlement of and compensation for refugees and some frontier rectifications. Bunche told Sharett Sunday and after consultation with his Government he replied that they warmly welcome this approach.” (Telegram 1819 from Cairo, Feb. 10, noon; 320.2 AA/2–1053)

    Ambassador Davis reported on Feb. 9 that Bunche had arrived in Israel from Cairo on Feb. 7, and that Bunche had seen Ben-Gurion, Sharett, Eytan, Shiloah, and others with whom he had been associated as Palestine Mediator. In a press interview Bunche stated that he had had a “‘friendly chat’” with General Naguib. Davis reported further that “in conversation with Israelis he seemed consciously to avoid touching off optimism re relations with Egypt that might result in harmful press speculation, but his visit nevertheless tended to allay somewhat tense feelings. He told me privately he was struck by fact Naguib had not even mentioned Palestine problem to him. He said however Israel had been mentioned in his conversation with Fawzi whom he quoted as saying he saw no reason why Egypt should not move toward peace with Israel if certain conditions could be met.” (Telegram 1269 from Tel Aviv, Feb 9, 11 p.m.; 032 Bunche, Ralph Dr/2–953)

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