Office of the Historian

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

Tel Aviv, May 4, 1956—3 p.m.

1168. Reference: Embtel 1164.2 Foreign Ministry advises that this morning it received communication from Hammarskjold saying he had been successful in obtaining from Egyptian Government statement that it would take effective measures to prevent border crossings and misdeeds of all persons (including civilians) and would punish culprits.

Hammarskjold’s message also reportedly said he had obtained “satisfactory reply” from GOE on question informal lifting Suez and Tiran blockades and was forwarding details.3

Comment: Israelis for first time are permitting themselves measure restrained optimism re concrete results of Hammarskjold’s negotiations. Statement re control civilians precisely what GOI regarded as necessary to provide basis border stabilization. While reserving judgment on SYG’s message re blockade until details received, Israelis [Page 609] appear hopeful that minimum way may have been opened for transmitting Suez with their petroleum imports.

White
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–456. Secret. Received at 12:49 p.m. Repeated to Cairo, Beirut, London, Paris, Damascus, and Jerusalem.↩
  2. Document 326.↩
  3. Telegram 1171 from Tel Aviv, May 7, concerned an Israeli Foreign Ministry report that quoted Hammarskjöld “as saying Nasser had ‘backed out’ of agreeing formula under which GOE would lift blockade in return Israel compliance Articles 7 and 8 GAA.” (Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–756)↩