684A.85/6–2454: Telegram
No. 838
The Chargé in Israel (Russell) to the Department of State1
1330. Ambassador Johnston and party arrived via Mandelbaum Gate afternoon June 18. Johnston and I made courtesy call on Prime Minister his office Jerusalem. Full meetings held afternoons June 20 and 21. Smaller meetings Johnston and myself with Prime Minister, Finance Minister and one or two advisers held on June 22 and 23. Johnston, Gardiner, Ludlow, and Jones departed this morning for Cairo. Barnes, Trozeg, and Colburn remaining here for couple of days for further discussions technical problems.
[Page 1586]Israeli position appeared to move nearer to unified plan and early insistence on Litani inclusion was dropped in latter stages of discussion. Agreement failed primarily over Israeli refusal accept division of waters based on principle valley land use. Latter part of discussion centered mostly around US proposal of (a) acceptance of general principle of allocation based on valley land use with agreement that final specific allocation would be made by neutral expert or experts based on further studies, accompanied by (b) immediate temporary allocations to various countries in rough proportions of unified plan to permit progress on construction.
Israeli Government evidenced desire not to be in position of definite turn-down of Johnston proposals but unwillingness accept magnitude limitation by Israeli Government of Jordan waters implicit in (a) above. It was agreed proposals would continue to be given consideration with view to later resumption of conversations. Johnston making more complete report.
- Repeated to Cairo and Jerusalem.↩