98. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State1
817. When seeing Sharett today on other matters I queried him re New York Times interview with Ben Gurion (Deptel 571).2 Sharett said there no question authenticity Ben Gurion’s statement re demilitarized zone but it did not represent any shift of policy. Foreign Minister recalled his conversation October last with Johnston3 in which latter had reported Nasser’s request for two or three months [Page 177] to bring Arabs into line on a water agreement. Sharett had then told Johnston he would do even better; that he would give him four and one-half months or until end of February. He had not stated at any time that Israel would begin digging on March 1. Question after end of February would become one of weather. Israel did not intend to waste another season. Foreign Minister added “we will not act precipitously in next few weeks if there are prospects of an early agreement.” “We are now in state of expectancy as to whether we will hear from Minister Johnston or State Department that there is real chance of an early settlement. If not we shall probably proceed.”
In reply to my question as to why Israel regarded it necessary to resume work in demilitarized zone when water would not actually be needed for two years or more, Sharett said demilitarized zone link missing, investment which government has made and is making in other segments of Jordan diversion plan would be jeopardized. He concluded Israel Government must be “assured of physical certainty of diversion.”
Comment: Embassy believes Ben Gurion’s comments predicated on press reports indicating that Johnston actively working on settlement matters and he would be returning to area for this purpose. Sharett’s statement he has never said Israel would begin work on March 1 but rather that Israel would consider itself free to do so is correct. Past experience has indicated that use of machinery in DZ becomes feasible only when rainy season ends in upper Galilee towards latter part of April. It believed GOI’s principal concern is to assure itself of right to use water, preferably by negotiation or failing that by actual completion of canal during coming work season. For this reason U.S. Government appears to have period of some weeks for diplomatic negotiations and that this period might be extended somewhat if such negotiations appear to hold hope of successful conclusion.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/2–1656. Confidential. Received at 4:30 a.m., February 17. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, and Damascus on February 17. (Ibid.)↩
- In telegram 571 to Tel Aviv, October 15, the Department informed the Embassy that the New York Times on February 15 had printed an article based on an interview that Homer Bigart had conducted with Ben Gurion, during which Ben Gurion disclosed that Israel had postponed its plans to begin work within the Demilitarized Zone. In view of Ben Gurion’s remarks, the Department asked the Embassy to comment on the significance of Ben Gurion’s statement and to inform the Department if it represented a shift in Israeli policy. (Ibid., 684A.85322/2–1556)↩
- See telegram 356, vol. XIV, p. 589.↩