Office of the Historian

173. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Wilkins) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Allen)1

Washington,July 27, 1955.

SUBJECT

  • Jerusalem

The Jerusalem question is becoming complicated.2 I will try to [Page 326] simplify the present situation. There is attached a proposed message to Tel Aviv3 proposing a new procedure to be put into effect following the Israeli elections and the expected installation of Ben Gurion as Prime Minister and Sharett as Foreign Minister. Both positions are now held by Sharett. In effect the proposed U.S. position would recognize the practical situation, and it would be made clear to the Israelis that the U.S legal view re Jerusalem had not changed.

There is also attached a copy of a message which the British Embassy in Washington received this morning regarding Jerusalem.4 The proposed British position provides, in effect, for a continuation of present practice. The British Ambassador would continue to call on Ben Gurion (as Prime Minister) in Jerusalem. Lesser officials of the British Embassy would call on lesser Israeli officials in Jerusalem or at the Israeli Liaison Office in Tel Aviv. The British Ambassador would not call on Sharett (as Foreign Minister) in Jerusalem. The chief British argument against relaxing on Jerusalem is that we will be giving something away to the Israelis prior to a settlement of the Palestine problem. This is particularly important in the light of Alpha.

This latter argument has some force, although we would not in actuality be giving up a point of substance, since we would have made clear to the Israelis that a call on the Israel Foreign Minister in Jerusalem did not indicate a change of U.S. policy. However, before adopting either our own or the British position, perhaps we should obtain Ambassador Lawson’s views? It is therefore recommended that you sign the attached telegram.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.00/7–2755. Top Secret.↩
  2. On July 22,Lawson reminded the Department of the Israeli Government’s “intense and persistent efforts to obtain recognition of Jerusalem Foreign Office”. He pointed out that the United States had been able to avoid the issue as long as the Prime Minister was also Foreign Minister, since Lawson could call on the Prime Minister either in Jerusalem or at his Tel Aviv office, but the general elections scheduled for July 26 might bring to power a new government in which the Foreign Minister was someone other than the Prime Minister. He urged the Department to develop an agreed policy with other interested nations and to forward instructions to him. (Telegram 45 from Tel Aviv;ibid., 601.1184A/7–2255)↩
  3. See Document 176.↩
  4. No copy of this message has been found in Department of State files.↩