Office of the Historian

108. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State1

London,May 24, 1955—6 p.m.

5157. Foreign Office has been considering some form of tripartite action recurrent Gaza situation but according to British Embassy Paris and Washington Quai D’Orsay is opposed and Department not responsive. Meanwhile, in reply to instructions mentioned Embassy telegram 5140,2 British Ambassador Tel Aviv has commented that he does not believe approach to Israel along lines indicated would be of any benefit unless at same time representations were made to Egypt reference mining in Gaza area.

Although Foreign Office working level is inclined agree with Lawson’s view (Tel Aviv’s 9893) that US and UK should continue seek agreement of Egypt to high level talks, British Embassy Washington has reported that Department does not appear inclined take further action in this regard at this time in light of recommendations of Burns and Byroade as reported Jerusalem’s 3284 and Cairo’s 1758.5

In circumstances Foreign Office is now considering “2 pronged” approach by UK, ie, to Israel reference May 18 attack and to Egypt re mining and administrative set-up in Gaza as suggested paragraph 3 Jerusalems’s 328 and final sentence Cairo’s 1758.6 Department will no doubt receive details from British Embassy.

Aldrich
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–2455. Secret. Received at 5:09 p.m. Repeated to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Paris, Baghdad, and Jidda.↩
  2. The Embassy in London reported on May 23 that the British Foreign Office had instructed the British Ambassador in Tel Aviv to make representation to Sharett about the Gaza situation. (Ibid., 674.84A/5–2355)↩
  3. Dated May 23, not printed. (Ibid.)↩
  4. Document 102.↩
  5. See footnote 4, Document 102.↩
  6. See the last sentence of the final quotation, ibid.↩