75. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 22, 1959, 2 p.m.1
SUBJECT
- Call of Senators Regarding Aid to Israel
PARTICIPANTS
- Senator W. Kerr Scott
- Senator Jacob K. Javits
- Senator Thomas H. Kuchel
- Senator Kenneth B. Keating
- Mr. Christian Herter, Secretary of State
- NEA—William M. Rountree
- NE/E—John F. Shaw
Messrs. Javits and Kuchel, who arrived first, were subsequently joined by Senators Keating and Scott. Mr. Javits, speaking for the group, reported that the elimination of grant aid for Israel from the Mutual Security Program had caused a great stir in Israel and in the United States. He felt the situation might have been different if the Government of Israel had been consulted in advance on the elimination of this item and had agreed to the substitution of other forms of assistance. However, as things had developed, the elimination of this aid had caused great embarrassment to Ambassador Eban who was about to return to Israel. Ambassador Eban, he said, was a great friend of the United States, and, if he were to be made Foreign Minister, the United States could certainly count on his support. In Senator Javits’ opinion it would be the path of wisdom to reintroduce an item of $7.5 million; then, if it were thought desirable to eliminate the item next year, to obtain Israel’s agreement in advance. Turning to the subject of Jordan water development, Senator Javits said that this was a project [Page 169] in which the Israel Government sought DLF assistance. He said the group would like to see the U.S. Government help in this project, if it were determined that it was in accord with our overall policy.
In reply, Mr. Herter stated that the decision to eliminate the line item of $7.5 million of grant aid for Israel was not a political decision; that this was based upon economic considerations; these funds had come to be used for foodstuffs and it was thought that our surplus stocks permitted a substitution of PL 480 assistance for grant aid. He also noted the improvement which has occurred in Israel’s economic situation. In addition, the Bureau of the Budget, he said, brought considerable pressure on the Department at the time the MSP program was prepared to reduce the level of the Administration’s request for aid by the elimination of any item that was not considered absolutely necessary. In the review of the MSP requests, it was thought that the aid figure of $7.5 million could be met from other resources. Mr. Javits said he understood the considerations on which the decision was based; he felt that the issue involved here was not a political one, since it was not the policy of the U.S. Government to deny aid to Israel; however, inasmuch as the elimination of the item had had serious political effects, he thought the course of convenience would be to restore the item.
Mr. Herter assured Senator Javits that it was certainly not the Department’s intention to deny aid to Israel, or to put Ambassador Eban on the spot. As for Jordan water development, he said, this is a project in which the Department is interested, but that the timing of how to move on this project was most important. He recalled that it is a project in which Eric Johnston has been interested, and that it is mixed up in the refugee problem. In reply to Senator Javits’ question as to whether now was an appropriate time to move on the refugee problem, he said he did not think so. The Department, he reported, had just recently completed a survey of the attitude in the area on this subject, and that it was not encouraging; however, it is a project in which the Department is greatly interested and settlement of the water question would help greatly.
In response to Senator Javits’ question as to whether US–Israel relations were not now very good, both Mr. Herter and Mr. Rountree assured him that for the past two years they have been very good; while there have been some border problems from time to time, there have been relatively few untoward incidents. Mr. Rountree said Ambassador Eban and Mr. Herzog know that the decision to eliminate special economic aid for Israel was not a political one. He recalled that Israel’s public reaction to the termination of the aid item was very sharp, but that after he met with Mr. Herzog the attitude of the press changed, and it is his understanding that the press now reflects more understanding of the problem.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/4–2259. Confidential. Drafted by Shaw on April 24. A briefing memorandum for Herter, April 22, with an attached memorandum from Rountree giving extensive background information on the decision to eliminate the request for Special Assistance funds, is ibid. Herter became Secretary of State on April 22.↩