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

289. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel⁰

Washington, July 4, 1963, 3:02 p.m.

19. Eyes only for Ambassador. Deptels 938, 939.¹ Following letter from President should be conveyed Prime Minister Eshkol,² preferably at your initial meeting with him:

“Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

“It gives me great personal pleasure to extend congratulations as you assume your responsibilities as Prime Minister of Israel. You have our friendship and best wishes in your new tasks. It is on one of these that I am writing you at this time.

“You are aware, I am sure, of the exchanges which I had with Prime Minister Ben-Gurion concerning American visits to Israel’s nuclear facility at Dimona. Most recently, the Prime Minister wrote to me on May 27.³ His words reflected a most intense personal consideration of a problem that I know is not easy for your Government, as it is not for mine. We welcomed the former Prime Minister’s strong reaffirmation that Dimona will be devoted exclusively to peaceful purposes and the reaffirmation also of Israel’s willingness to permit periodic visits to Dimona.

“I regret having to add to your burdens so soon after your assumption of office, but I feel the crucial importance of this problem necessitates my taking up with you at this early date certain further considerations, arising out of Mr. Ben-Gurion’s May 27 letter, as to the nature and scheduling of such visits.

“I am sure you will agree that these visits should be as nearly as possible in accord with international standards, thereby resolving all doubts as to the peaceful intent of the Dimona project. [3–1/2 lines of source text not declassified]

“Therefore, I asked our scientists to review the alternative schedules of visits we and you had proposed. If Israel’s purposes are to be clear beyond reasonable doubt, I believe that the schedule which would best serve our common purposes would be a visit early this summer, another visit in June 1964, and thereafter at intervals of six months. I am sure that such a schedule should not cause you any more difficulty than that which Mr. Ben-Gurion proposed in his May 27 letter. It would be essential, and I understand that Mr. Ben-Gurion’s letter was in accord with this, that our scientists have access to all areas of the Dimona site and to any related part of the complex, such as fuel fabrication facilities or plutonium separation plant, and that sufficient time be allotted for a thorough examination.

“Knowing that you fully appreciate the truly vital significance of this matter to the future well-being of Israel, to the United States, and internationally, I am sure our carefully considered request will have your most sympathetic attention.

“Sincerely,

“John F. Kennedy”

In conveying foregoing, you should stress that exhaustive examination by the most competent USG authorities has established scheduling embodied in President’s letter as minimum to achieve a purpose we see as vital to Israel and to our mutual interests. Scientific reasons for this are that (a) only a visit before criticality can fully establish features of a reactor—this is reason for requested early summer visit which we hope could be this month or next at latest; (b) it is widely known and accepted by knowledgeable international scientific community that, if intended for ultimate production of weapons grade plutonium, a reactor of this size would be operated to burn a single fuel load approximately every six months, whereas for peaceful purposes optimum burn-up time would be about two years—this is what makes it essential that after mid-1964 visits be scheduled semi-annually.⁴

Rusk

0. Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 294, Pres. Kennedy-Johnson/Israel Correspondence, 1962–65. Secret; Priority; Verbatim Text. Drafted by Crawford on July 3; cleared by Kretzmann (in draft), Davies, Nobbe, Harriman, and Komer; and approved by Talbot.
1. See Document 274 and footnote 1 thereto.
2. On June 26, the Israeli Knesset approved a new Israeli Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. Documentation relating to Ben Gurion’s resignation and Eshkol’s assumption of power is ibid., Central Files, POL 15–1 ISRAEL.
3. See Document 258.
4. On July 9, during a meeting with President Kennedy, McCone reviewed the results of [text not declassified] advised the President that the intelligence community was satisfied [text not declassified] that the inspection procedures outlined in the letter printed here would be satisfactory. (Central Intelligence Agency, Job 80 D 01285A, DCI (McCone) Files, Memoranda for the Record)