Office of the Historian

11. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel1

Washington, January 28, 1955—2:29 p.m.

426. Eban called on Deputy Under Secretary January 27 re death sentences (Jerusalem’s 175).2 Was told Dept would review matter.3 [Page 33] Same evening Dept officer phoned Eban US making another effort with Egyptians.4 Prominent American Jewish leader also advised (American Jewry had approached White House on matter).5

As yet no publicity here re clemency appeals to White House or Dept, neither of which intend volunteer public statement. If asked comment however will state everything which could appropriately be done re sentences has been done.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.34A/1–2755. Confidential; Priority; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Burns and approved by Jernegan who signed for Dulles. Repeated to Cairo.↩
  2. On January 27, Egypt’s Supreme Military Tribunal made public its sentences in the case referred to in footnote 3, Document 4. Two of the defendants were tried in absentia and one committed suicide during the trial; of the remaining 10, 2 were sentenced to death, 2 were acquitted, and 6 were sentenced to hard labor for terms varying from 2 years to life. Telegram 175 from Jerusalem, January 27, reported that Sharett told White that Ambassador Eban had been instructed to appeal to President↩
  3. No record of Eban’s conversation on January 27 with Murphy has been found in Department of State files.↩
  4. For text of the message sent to Cairo, see infra.↩
  5. No record of such conversations has been found in Department of State files.↩