Office of the Historian

11. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State1

Tel Aviv, January 7, 1956—5 p.m.

687. Eyes only for the Secretary. Re Department’s telegram 466.2 It appears evident from Embassy’s telegram 6763 that knowledge of the proposed operation is known to the Israeli Government from a top-level down to that of Raphael, advisor on Arab affairs, Foreign Office.

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Therefore, in my judgment, this operation as well as subsequent details developed during the discussions will not be as closely held within the GOI as within the USG.

In view of the initiative taken by Raphael in introducing this subject, his closeness to Sharett and past experiences of the Embassy, we should not overlook the possibility that Raphael may have been transmitting Sharett’s initial views on the efficacy of the proposed operation.

Lawson
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/1–756. Top Secret; Alpha. Received at 8:57 a.m., January 8.↩
  2. Supra.↩
  3. Document 8.↩