12. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State1
97. Reference: Deptel 71.2 Because Ben Gurion was in Tel Aviv this afternoon, I was able to take up substance Department’s message with him here within a few hours of its receipt. I placed particular stress on our hopes for restraint by the Government of Israel, and expressed concern over Israel’s apparent preoccupation with “right of retaliation” as alluded to in press and elsewhere.
He appeared somewhat flushed and under pressure of some sort when I arrived. Although at beginning of my conversation he appeared disturbed and I anticipated some rather explosive reaction, he listened carefully and replied only briefly with the firmly expressed assurance that US “has no ground for worry that we will do anything to disturb peace”.
He pointedly implied prospects on other side of frontiers were not so reassuring. He read from a letter from Hammarskjold dated July 24 in which SYG apparently quoted Nuwar as saying measures had been taken which should help substantially to restore quiet; and, re his visit to Egypt, that Nasser was “sincerely working to bring disturbances to an end.” He said he did not know which Egypt it was that Hammarskjold had visited. “SYG was obviously very intelligent man but there was something wrong in his reactions and appreciation. There had been incidents just before he arrived, while he was here, and immediately after he left Middle East.” It was obvious to me Ben Gurion had in mind that at same time Nasser [Page 23] was reassuring Hammarskjold he had taken measures to bring disturbances to an end, he must have been contemplating his attack on US in his speech July 26.
He expressed personal distress over injuries suffered by UNTSO personnel and said he had just written to Burns on this subject.
After our discussion of border problems he asked following two questions:
- (1)
- Could I find out for him when he might expect decision on their Export-Import Bank loan application (Department please inform) and
- (2)
- Was there now any possibility of US supplying defensive arms?
To first question I replied I would cable Washington; to second, that I had nothing new to report.
Following my conversation with Ben Gurion, I talked briefly with Yaacov Herzog, Director US Division, Foreign Ministry, who said Prime Minister had had a second letter on July 26 from Hammarskjold in which SYG said he was returning to New York and might summon Security Council, presumably to discuss deteriorating situation Israel/Jordan border.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/7–2756. Confidential; Priority. Received at 8:16 a.m., July 29. Repeated to Amman, London, Paris, Moscow, Jerusalem, Cairo, and USUN.↩
- Vol. XV, p. 903.↩