Office of the Historian

122. Letter From the Israeli Chargé (Shiloah) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree)1

Washington, February 20, 1957.

Dear Mr. Rountree: In accordance with your suggestion, I telephoned the message from the President of the United States to Prime Minister Ben-Gurion at his home in Jerusalem.

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Mr. Ben-Gurion instructed me to convey immediately his deep gratitude for the personal interest and the spirit of friendship which were expressed in this message. He warmly shares the President’s desire zealously to preserve and develop the friendship between our countries.

He asked me to bring to your notice that Ambassador Eban, to whose report the President refers, has not yet reached Israel. He is expected hourly, and the Prime Minister will get his report immediately on his arrival. Mr. Ben-Gurion will call a Cabinet meeting tomorrow morning to discuss both the President’s message and the Ambassador’s report. He cannot, of course, predict the outcome of the Cabinet’s deliberations. Whatever it is, he will have to bring it before the Knesset, which previously took a stand on the issue on January 23, 1957. He hopes to be able to come before the Knesset tomorrow afternoon.

The Prime Minister will spare no effort to expedite discussion and decision and to achieve an understanding between our two nations.

He appreciates the support the United States has already given to the postponement of consideration of this issue by the General Assembly, and expresses his hope that this postponement be further extended, if at all possible, for a few days to facilitate consideration of the issues involved in a suitable spirit.

Sincerely,

R. Shiloah2

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784.13/2–2057. At 6 p.m. on February 20, Shiloah called on Rountree at the Department of State and reported that Eisenhower’s message (supra) had been read over the telephone to Ben Gurion as requested. Shiloah then handed Rountree this letter as an indication of Ben Gurion’s initial reaction to the message. (Memorandum of conversation by Bergus, February 20; ibid., 674.84A/2–2057)

    A copy of the letter, sent to President Eisenhower during the evening of February 20, is in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series.

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  2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩