684A.86/4–1854: Telegram
No. 802
The Ambassador in Lebanon (Hare) to the Department of State1
priority
874. Despite some recent alarmist rumors situation along Lebanese-Israel frontier continues reasonably stable. However, repeated incidents along Israel’s other frontiers have caused Lebanese Government grave concern and give evidence, as noted by Secretary, that Israelis deliberately engaging series of military, quasi-military and political actions aimed at keeping frontiers in turmoil and so depreciating value of UNTSO machinery that UN and great powers will feel impelled seek some new arrangement more to Israel’s advantage. This situation leads me venture following comments in reply Deptel 1160, April 15:2
- (1)
- Our declared policy of impartiality is sound but in existing circumstances it would be inconsistent with sound political judgment to interpret impartiality in terms of holding both sides equally responsible. The fact is that Israel has gotten out of line and real impartiality requires getting her renew play according to rules. After all, a referee does not cease being impartial when he penalizes an offending team.
- (2)
- As regards direct talks, this too is a sound objective provided that circumstances are reasonably favorable but unfortunately such is not the case now nor can it be foreseen in the near future. To begin with, it would seem that Israel is in fact not so much attacking the Arab States as the UN armistice machinery itself. Secondly, it is not believed that any Arab government could, even if it would, accede to Western pressures, no matter how strong, to engage in direct conversations as matters now stand. Thirdly, even if by some miracle talks should take place now, it is difficult to believe that results would be productive in view present emotional intensity and domestic situations in countries concerned.
- (3)
- While reiterating endorsement principles of impartiality and encouraging direct talks as feasible, it would respectfully suggest that progress toward solution of Palestine problem may have been retarded rather than stimulated in past by argument that Arab–Israel problem is “theirs” not “ours”. This is not fact. Israel came into being as result action by the international community and it will take further action by the international community to settle her as peaceful Near Eastern state. To be sure the Arab States and Israel have an important share of responsibility but it is only partial. Furthermore, regardless of responsibility, the task would be [Page 1525] beyond Arab-Israeli capacities in any event. We should not postulate the unrealistic nor ask the impossible.
- (4)
- It would follow from foregoing that unless and until we and our major allies, working both within and outside the UN, can come forward with substantial plans which could be made basis for effective General Assembly action, it is pointless to seek maintain policy of seeking “peace” in some other way. Meanwhile, might it not be more realistic and productive to acknowledge that all we are seeking for time being is a modus vivendi, which might even take form of genuinely respected armed truce. If all of us, that is Arabs, Israelis and international community, could reconcile ourselves to this idea, I believe that there would be better prospects of working gradually toward final peace.
- (5)
- While the American Government should be prepared to play vigorous role, it is essential that there should be full cooperation by others, especially our major allies. Unfortunately such cooperation has not always been up to desired level with result that we sometimes find ourselves in unnecessarily exposed position.
- (6)
- As regards means for strengthening present truce machinery, Lebanese-Israeli MAC has had so few problems and worked so well that we have had little first-hand experience on which to base specific suggestions other than to endorse helpful ideas in Cairo’s 1309, April 16,3 and to inquire whether any new thinking may possibly have been developed regarding an “international police force” to overcome well-known objections raised when idea was originally considered.
To summarize, we agree that Palestine crisis indeed serious but that hope for improvement at this stage does not lie in encouraging direct negotiations but rather in recognizing that international community bears important responsibility and in being prepared to face Near Eastern cold war for some time in anticipation that eventual peace will come either by some new and basic UN action or by piecemeal adjustment and the passage of time. Meanwhile, UN supervisory machinery should be strengthened and its authority imposed with rigid impartiality.
- Repeated to Amman, Cairo, Damascus, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Jidda, and Jerusalem.↩
- Printed as telegram 407 to Amman, Document 796.↩
- Document 797.↩