Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XVII, Near East, 1961–1962

190. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Washington, February 13, 1962.

SUBJECT

• Farbstein Resolution and Discrimination by Jordan Against American Jews

PARTICIPANTS

• The Secretary
• Leonard Farbstein, Representative from New York
• NEA—Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert C. Strong
• H—William Coblentz

1. Farbstein Resolution. The Congressman said he could only bow to the Secretary’s written request he not press his resolution.¹ To demonstrate the soundness of his resolution, however, he read from Ambassador Jessup’s statement of policy before the UNGA in November 1952² favoring direct negotiations in the Arab-Israel problem. The Secretary remarked the essence of the matter is that direct negotiations are not going to occur at an early date. We had voted against such a resolution in the UNGA because otherwise we would have become entangled dangerously in the Arab proposal for a property custodian and our principal purpose, the PCC initiative on the refugee problem, would have been sacrificed.

In the Congressman’s opinion the PCC initiative would get nowhere. Had we supported the direct negotiations resolution, world opinion would have been mobilized, and pressure would have been placed on the Arabs. In the Secretary’s view, the Arabs would not back down in the face of such pressure.

In bowing to the Secretary’s request not to press the resolution (for which the Secretary expressed appreciation), Mr. Farbstein said he was seeking a quid pro quo, as follows.

2. Discrimination by Jordan Against American Jews. The Congressman asked from the Secretary in writing a commitment that Jordan would be forced to cease discriminating against American Jews. Specifically, Jordan should remove from its visa application form that question relating to the religion of the applicant. He referred to the fact that the United States provides half the Jordanian budget and read from the 1961 AID legislation³ the anti-discrimination paragraph.

The Secretary noted it must not be assumed that we can do everything we want all around the world, citing several examples. In confidence, he could tell the Congressman we were discussing with King Saud this afternoon the question of discrimination.⁴ Mr. Farbstein replied Saudi Arabia was hopeless and he was not interested in it. Remarking he had mobilized 25 Congressmen including Mr. Rooney to call on the Secretary, Mr. Farbstein asked whether he should arrange for the New York delegation to call on the Secretary. What he really wanted was a letter from the Secretary which would help him in a tough election contest in his district.

The Secretary replied it would not be necessary for the delegation to call on him. He agreed something should be done, he would look into the question in the various countries and would be in touch with Mr. Farbstein by the end of the week.

As he departed, the Congressman suggested the Secretary issue a release about his call. However, he was quite pleased to accept the Secretary’s counter proposal that the Congressman issue his own release.

(After leaving the Secretary’s office, Mr. Strong explained in some detail the political circumstances in Jordan, the efforts we had made to persuade Jordan to end discrimination, our hopes for the future, the utter necessity of avoiding publicity regarding our efforts or our successes and the understanding of the problem which Ambassador Macomber had as former Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. Mr. Farbstein counted Ambassador Macomber as a friend and had confidence in him.)⁵

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/2–1362. Confidential. Drafted by Strong and approved in S on February 22.
1. See footnote 6, Document 186.
2. For text of the statement by Philip C. Jessup, U.S. Representative to the U.N. General Assembly, made before the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Political Committee on November 29, 1952, see Department of State Bulletin, December 15, 1952, pp. 953–957.
3. 75 Stat. 424.
4. See Document 191.
5. On February 14, the Department of State transmitted an account of this conversation to the Embassy in Amman in telegram 262 and instructed the Embassy to discuss the discrimination problem with King Hussein or Prime Minister Wasfi Tell, if it had not done so recently. The same telegram sent to the Embassy in Beirut as telegram 685 instructed that Embassy to report on existing discriminatory practices and on difficulties encountered by a Congressional delegation, headed by Congressman Pilcher, that had recently visited Lebanon. (Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/2–1462) Additional documentation relating to Jordan’s visa practices is ibid., 684A.86 and 885.181; see also Supplement, the compilation on Jordan.