Office of the Historian

119. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 1, 1960, 4 p.m.1

Washington, February 1, 1960, 4 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Israel Prime Minister Ben Gurion’s Request for an Appointment with President Eisenhower

PARTICIPANTS

  • The Secretary
  • Avraham Harman, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel
  • Yaacov Herzog, Minister, Embassy of Israel
  • NEA—G. Lewis Jones
  • NE—William L. Hamilton

Ambassador Harman called to convey a request from Prime Minister Ben Gurion for a private conversation with President Eisenhower. The Ambassador said an invitation to receive an honorary degree from Brandeis University could serve as a pretext for a trip at a time convenient to the President. The Brandeis ceremony could be scheduled on a week’s notice. The Prime Minister would receive a degree and then come “quietly” to Washington.

Ambassador Harman indicated the Prime Minister had certain thoughts he would like to present which might make a contribution to the President’s preparations for approaching events. He suggested a date within the next six weeks or two months. Subjects to be discussed would include: 1) East-West relations: 2) problems of the new African nations; 3) the Middle East situation in general.

The Secretary said he could make no definitive reply without consulting the President but he felt sure nothing was possible before the President’s return about the 7th of March from his South American trip.

The Secretary emphasized that the heavy schedule of events of the next few months made an official invitation out of the question. Ambassador Harman said the Prime Minister understood fully; he had no interest in press conferences, public appearances or Congressional courtesies. He had had all of these during his visit in 1951 and did not want the experience repeated. The Embassy would be prepared to work very closely with the Department to avoid activities which might in any way make the visit a matter of embarrassment.

[Page 261]

The Secretary said he would be seeing the President in the near future and would undertake to put the Israel proposal before him.2

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.84A11/2–160. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Hamilton and approved by S on February 6. The source text is labeled Part I of II. For Part II, see infra. Three briefing papers for the conversation are in Department of State, Central Files, 601.84A11/1–3060, 601.84A11/2–160, and 684A.86B/2–160. A memorandum of Harman’s conversation with Jones earlier in the day regarding the visit is ibid., 033.84A11/2–160.↩
  2. Herter sent a memorandum to the President on February 2 recommending approval of the visit. (Ibid., Conference Files: Lot 64 D 559, CF 1615) Across the top of the memorandum is the handwritten notation: “Pres appv’d appointment, arranged for 11 a.m. 3/10/60. Secretary to accompany.”↩