301. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Minister of the Israeli Embassy (Shiloah) and the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Russell), Department of State, Washington, April 22, 19561
SUBJECT
- Arms for Israel
I saw Reuven Shiloah, Minister of the Israel Embassy, today at his request. In the course of our discussion, I referred to Eban’s conversation with the Secretary on March 282 when Eban had said that if Israel could obtain 48 jet fighters and some anti-tank guns, the problem of her arms requirements would be resolved for the moment, in response to which the Secretary had said that we might be of assistance to Israel in obtaining some of her arms requirements from other countries. I said we had instructed our missions in Ottawa, Rome and Paris to see whether another 36 jet fighters, supplementing the 12 Mysteres which Israel had received, might be provided by one or more of the three countries.3 I told Shiloah that if the Israel Embassy would indicate the country, e.g., Belgium, Sweden or Switzerland, where the type of anti-tank guns that Israel wished were manufactured, we might also be of assistance to Israel in obtaining them.
Mr. Shiloah said that Israel had adequate access to those countries and he did not think that U.S. assistance would be necessary to enable Israel to obtain such equipment. I told Shiloah that American prices were higher than those of European countries and Israel would find it less expensive to obtain such equipment there. He said they were aware of that but that Israel had preferred to buy them here because the impression which would result from the effectuation of such a purchase would be useful to Israel.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.56/4–2256. Top Secret. Drafted on April 23 by Russell.↩
- See Document 221.↩
- See Document 279.↩