Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1957, Volume XVII

354. Message From President Eisenhower to King Saud¹

Washington, July 10, 1957.

Your Majesty: Since the receipt of your message on March 31,² we have been giving the situation in the Gulf of Aqaba our most earnest consideration. We have appreciated the opportunity afforded by Your Majesty’s acceptance of our suggestion of May 15 that the various aspects of this question be discussed with your representative. At all times in these discussions, we have been particularly aware of Your Majesty’s position as the Keeper of the Holy Places of Islam, as well as the leader of an important Arab state on the Gulf.

Secretary of State Dulles has kept me informed of the course of his discussions and those of other Departmental officers with Azzam Pasha. I believe the talks have been useful in developing possible ways to ease the situation in the Gulf. The Secretary of State has prepared an Aide-Mémoire containing certain suggested avenues of approach, which is being provided to Azzam Pasha who will, I presume, arrange for its appropriate consideration by Your Majesty and your counselors.

The memorandum seeks to be responsive to the principal points of concern which have emerged from your message and our further conversations with Azzam Pasha, namely: the presence of Israeli warships in the Gulf, the serious question of the safety of Moslem pilgrims transiting the Gulf, the responsibilities of United States vessels toward the coastal sovereigns on the Gulf, and the legal status of the Gulf of Aqaba and the straits leading into it.

In our consideration of this problem, we are mindful of the special responsibilities which Your Majesty bears during the current pilgrimage season. I can assure you, as I have in the past, that we would view most gravely any action by any nation which would interfere with the safe transit of pilgrims. If, in your deliberation with the representatives of other Moslem nations during the present pilgrimage, it would assist Your Majesty’s position to make mention of our assurances on this matter, you may feel at liberty to do so.

I was grateful that Your Majesty brought to my attention in your letter of June 25 your special concern over a circular to shipowners regarding the Gulf. The routine character of this circular, and the fact that it was not intended to forbid compliance with requirements of prior notification issued by a coastal state in accordance with the principles of international law, have been fully explained by the Department of State to Ambassador Al-Khayyal and to Azzam Pasha.

Our declaration³ on the legal status of the Gulf of Aqaba was motivated by the same reliance on principle and international law which governed our actions during the events of last October and November. Even then we did not insist that our individual views were fixed and inflexible; to the contrary we expressed the hope that if there should develop differing views on the matter, the whole affair might be decided by the International Court at The Hague, which decision we stand ready, in advance, to accept. That our attitude then announced, should have created differences with Saudi Arabia at a time when the parallel nature of our objectives in the area are becoming increasingly apparent is a matter of particular regret. I am hopeful that what we are proposing will offer a way to reduce these differences and to maintain the peace and tranquility in the area which we both so earnestly seek.

May God grant you His safekeeping.

Your sincere friend,

Dwight D. Eisenhower⁴

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/7–1057. Secret. Transmitted to the Embassy in Jidda in telegram 49, July 10, which is the source text.

   Newsom prepared the original draft of this letter, which Dulles transmitted to Eisenhower on July 9. Eisenhower rewrote the final paragraph of the letter and otherwise approved the draft on July 10; see supra and footnote 3 below.

2. See Document 260.
3. The original version of this paragraph, as transmitted to Eisenhower on June 9, reads as follows: “Our declaration on the legal status of the Gulf of Aqaba was motivated by the same reliance on principle and international law which governed our actions during the events of last October and November. That this should have created differences with Saudi Arabia at a time when the parallel nature of our objectives in the area are becoming increasingly apparent is a matter of particular regret. I am hopeful that what we are proposing will offer a way to reduce these differences and to maintain the peace and tranquility in the area which we both so earnestly seek.”
4. Telegram 49 bears this typed signature.