416. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State1
2343. Eyes only for Secretary. Eyes only Ambassador. Lloyd asked to see me urgently this morning. He had four points he wished to make. Referring to conversations with Brit Chargé in Washington, he said US contemplates asking Security Council to declare Israel aggressor. He agrees to immediate SC consideration. However, his thinking is that Brit Govt would be in impossible situation politically here if they should have to take military action on the side of Egypt pursuant to a declaration of Israeli aggression. Along this line he tried to rationalize by calling Israeli action “a clear case of self-defense” on grounds that Egypt has denied Israeli access through the Canal and that Egyptian Fedayeen have for a long time been provoking the Israelis by commando forays into Israeli territory. Lloyd’s second point was to inform me that Brit have obtained Israeli assurances that Jordan will not be attacked. He professed to have been particularly concerned on that score and to have made clear to the Israelis that if Jordan were attacked, the UK–Jordan Treaty would result in the UK immediately giving military assistance to Jordan. Thirdly, he expressed concern that the Brit now have some sterling 75 million worth of shipping in or near the Suez Canal, and he assumes that the Israeli military tactics will be to seize the Canal bridges to prevent Egyptian counter-action. Finally, he noted that Mollet and Pineau are coming to London this morning.
[Page 847]I took strong issue with Lloyd’s assessment of the Israeli justification for its attack, emphasizing that it seemed hardly explicable anywhere that an attack of this magnitude is justified by Egypt’s barring Canal to Israeli ships, which has been going on for many years, and Egyptian Fedayeen raids, which in any case have been largely negligible in recent months. I left him under no doubt that it would be a serious mistake to calculate that Jewish influence in US is such as to assure US sympathy with such Israeli operations. I was surprised to find him take line that on contrary there is widespread anti-Semitism in the US, which I also obviously rejected. I also said that in any event it of overriding importance that UK support US Security Council action and that it would be manifestly disastrous for Brit position with other Arab countries if Brit should let present animosity toward Nasser dictate Brit taking a less forceful line with the Israelis than the US. With regard to the operation of the Tripartite Declaration, Lloyd stated Nasser in the past has said that he would not want UK assistance under that declaration, and Lloyd again repeated that military assistance to Egypt would be politically impossible in the UK at this time.
Lloyd then left for urgent Cabinet meeting. At my request he has agreed to see me again following the UK talks with Mollet and Pineau.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/10–3056. Top Secret; Niact. Received at 8:59 a.m. Repeated to Paris.↩