441. Editorial Note
In a memorandum to Ambassador Lawson on October 31, the Army Attaché in Tel Aviv, Colonel Query, gave the following account of a conversation which he had had that morning with Israeli Foreign Liaison Officer Major Sinai. Sinai told Query that “he [Sinai] had felt rather ashamed since his conversation with me in which he had intimated that Israel’s military objective was primarily Jordan, since obviously that information was false and an attempt to delude me and divert my attention from the possibility of an attack on Egypt. He said he felt that his attempt had not succeeded.” Major Sinai then proceeded to give Query a thorough briefing on Israel’s plan of action and actual moves in the Sinai Peninsula. When during the briefing, Sinai referred to “French planes”, Query inquired as to whether French pilots were involved. Sinai at first responded “I meant Mystéres” and when Query pressed the question, answered “No comment”. Sinai then pressed Query to comment on why the United States had taken the position which it had in the United Nations; Query replied that he had not read the newspaper for days and therefore knew nothing of the event. Sinai then asked Query for his opinion as to what the attitude of the major powers would be concerning Israeli retention of the Sinai area. Query responded that as far as Great Britain and France were concerned the “so-called ultimatum seemed to answer the question”. (Memorandum from Query to Lawson, “Briefing by Senior Foreign Liaison Officer”, October 31; Department of State, Tel Aviv Embassy Files: Lot 65 F [Page 884] 51, 321.9 Israel–Egypt, July–Dec. 1956) Regarding Sinai’s previous conversation with Query on October 28, see Document 402.