82. Memorandum Prepared in the Office of the Secretary of State1
The following was just telephoned from Mr. Arthur H. Dean:
“At their request I saw Mrs. Meir, the Israeli Foreign Minister, and Ambassador Eban at their Suite at the Savoy-Plaza. They advanced the following argument:
- “1. If Egypt would renounce all of her rights to belligerency, then Israel would renounce her rights to belligerency and Israel could then withdraw from both the Gaza Strip and the Gulf of Aqaba.
- “2. This would then permit not only Israeli ships but the ships of all nations to traverse the Gulf of Aqaba and to enter the Port of Elath.
- “3. The renunciation by Egypt of her rights of belligerency would be a very useful thing in the solution of the Suez or otherwise when that Canal is opened, Egypt will insist that Britain, France and Israel, as belligerents, cannot use that Canal.
- “4. They insisted that this ought to be done by both Egypt and Israel on a mutual basis.
“As is my invariable custom I did not attempt to answer their argument, but asked as many questions as I could and expressed no opinion.
“Over the week end the following possible solution occurred to me:
“Since for reasons you and I have discussed you would not wish to guarantee Israel’s boundaries at this time since Israel joined in the attack with the British and French on Egypt, would it be feasible for us to guarantee Egypt against further attack in consideration for which Egypt would renounce her rights of belligerency and in that event Israel would withdraw from both the Gaza Strip and the Gulf of Aqaba.
“There may be good reasons why you cannot do this but I thought I would put this possible solution before you.”
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Confidential; Personal and Private. A marginal notation by Bernau on the source text reads: “Sec saw”. The source text does not indicate who transcribed the message.↩