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

684A.85/5–2553:Telegram

No. 617
The Chargé in Israel (Russell) to the Department of State¹

secret
priority

Tel Aviv, May 25, 1953—3 p.m.

1787. Embassy has been requested by Foreign Ministry to transmit following personal message dated May 24 from Prime Minister Ben Gurion to Secretary Dulles in reply to Secretary’s message (Embassy telegram 1766 and Embassy despatch 1193, March [May] 19):²

“I fully understand your anxiety about the security situation on the Jordan border.

“The problem is one of large-scale banditry and frequent murders on Israel soil by armed marauders from Jordan.

“It can only be effectively handled (a) if the Jordan Government accepts responsibility for preventing unauthorized crossings of the lines by its nationals, as we are willing to do for our nationals (b) if the central authorities of Jordan adopt and enforce a system of basic preventive measures. In March, at Jordan’s request, we handed them a memorandum outlining the measures we think are needed. Jordan promised to study these proposals, but to this day there has been no reaction to them (c) if the two governments consult each other at a proper level to coordinate their efforts. As far back as January, we proposed a high-level meeting. On 23 April General Riley renewed this proposal. My government agreed forthwith. Jordan has failed so far to respond.

“Experience has shown that the agreements which provided for local commanders meetings were an ineffectual palliative, because they could only deal with isolated incidents and then only after their occurrence, and therefore did not attack the evil at its roots. Local commanders meetings can help to implement, but cannot be a substitute for, more general measures to be agreed upon in high-level discussions.

“In response to your personal appeal, and in order not to neglect any chance of helping the situation, we are prepared to have the local agreement renewed. The terms will have to be adapted to present circumstances. I must add that unless Jordan accepts full responsibility for keeping its nationals on the Jordan side, it is doubtful whether the agreement can be efective, though we will do everything in our power to make it so.”

Embassy comments follow.

Russell

1. Repeated to Jerusalem, Amman, and Tripoli (for Secretary Dulles).
2. Neither printed, but see footnote 1, Document 613.