72. Telegram From the Consulate General at Jerusalem to the Department of State1
277. Reference:mytel 270.2 Met with General Burns today. Following summarizes position relative his calling Egyptian-Israeli meeting:
Bums agrees with USG estimate that situation sufficiently serious warrant his prospective action in calling high-level meeting. Bums has seen Eytan who thought participants might consist of himself and the Egyptian Ambassador to Syria3 or Jordan.4 Next move is now up to Eytan since he is to provide Bums, presumably very soon, with Israel’s suggestions for agenda. Upon receipt these suggestions Bums will determine whether proposed agenda items would constitute sufficient basis for calling meeting. If so, he expects sound out Egyptians through UN channels.
Bums regards danger major clash sufficiently imminent to require some action without delay. He has therefore today telegraphed to UNSYG asking latter draw attention GOE to deterioration frontier situation. While recognizing best efforts both parties needed avoid serious trouble,Burns’ communication contains appeal Egyptian commander issue appropriate orders to army units and lists ten instances Israeli complaints against Egypt since March 28 of mining and shooting incidents.
Bums expects to see Dayan later today about possibility establishing joint patrols Gaza area.5
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684.84A/4–1155. Secret; Priority. Received at 12:05 p.m. Repeated priority to Tel Aviv and. Cairo, and to London and Paris. Repeated to USUN.↩
- See footnote 4, Document 68.↩
- Brigadier Mahmoud Riad.↩
- General Mohamed Ibrahim Seifeddin.↩
- Cole subsequently informed the Department that Burns saw Dayan on April 11 and proposed that steps be taken to establish joint Egyptian-Israeli patrols in frontier areas. Dayan said he would refer Burns’ proposal to Ben Gurion, but indicated considerable skepticism about the latter’s reaction. (Telegram 281 from Jerusalem, April 14; Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/4–1455)↩