350. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State1
400. Paris for Russell. In my conversation with Sharett today on eve his departure Lydda airport for Paris, I asked specifically what might be significance of Chief of Staff Dayan’s sudden recall from European vacation. I suggested there was certain to be active and widespread interpretation of this move in relation to rumors of Israel’s “preventive action” under certain conditions.Sharett told me definitely there was no such significance involved—that Dayan had been called back solely for purpose assisting in drawing up an arms purchasing program. He said Dayan was at that moment closeted with Cabinet which was engaged in very serious and unhappy task of deciding which categories of national budget funds must suffer diversion of money to be used for arms purchases. This was considered such an important and far reaching decision that GOI deemed it necessary that Dayan participate in discussions. He then said “This [Page 639] is not only a reason to be handed out by the government but it is an actual fact”.2
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.56/10–2355. Confidential. Received at 10:22 a.m., October 24. Repeated to Paris, London, and Cairo.↩
- Dayan later wrote that at a meeting with Ben Gurion on October 23 he received orders to initiate preparations for the capture of the Straits of Tiran to ensure freedom of shipping through the Gulf of Akaba and the Red Sea. (Moshe Dayan,Diary of the Sinai Campaign (London, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1966), p. 12)↩