Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1964–1967
1. Letter From President Johnson to Prime Minister Eshkol
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, Israel—Presidential Correspondence. Secret. The text of the letter was transmitted in telegram 594 to Tel Aviv, January 3. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 US/SHRIVER)
2. Letter From President Johnson to King Hussein
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence, Jordan—Presidential Correspondence. The text of the letter was transmitted in telegram 269 to Amman, January 3. (National Archives and Records Administration,RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15–1 JORDAN)
3. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 19–3 ISR. Secret. Drafted by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Phillips Talbot on January 4 and approved in S on January 19. The memorandum is marked Part I of II. The other portion of the conversation is recorded in a memorandum of conversation, ibid., POL ISR–US.
4. Memorandum for Record
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. I. Secret.
5. Summary Prepared in the Department of State
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. I, Cables. Secret. Both the summary and the 9-page letter from Badeau are filed with a covering memorandum of January 14 from Rusk to the President; a covering memorandum of January 14 from Komer to Bill Moyers, which noted that the President might want to urge Badeau to stay on during the “ticklish period in US–UAR relations” expected to develop over the Jordan water issue; and an undated note from Moyers to NSC Executive Secretary Bromley Smith, stating that the President had seen the package and that Bundy should talk to him about asking Badeau to stay on.
6. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 33–1 JORDAN RIVER. Secret. Repeated to Baghdad, Amman, Jidda, Rabat, Algiers, Tripoli, Damascus, Khartoum, Beirut, Tunis, Kuwait, and Taiz.
7. Memorandum for Record
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Israel Security (Tanks), Nov. 1963–June 1964. Secret. A handwritten note indicates that copies were sent to Talbot, Jernegan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Frank K. Sloan, and Bundy, and subsequently to USIA Director Carl T. Rowan and Deputy Special Counsel to the President Myer Feldman.
8. Memorandum of Conversation Between the Israeli Ambassador (Harman) and the President’s Deputy Special Counsel (Feldman)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Israel Security (Tanks), Nov. 1963–June 1964. Secret.
9. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Vol. I. Secret. The memorandum bears no drafting information, but another copy indicates that it was drafted by Talbot. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL ARAB–ISR)
10. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 70 A 1266, Israel 470. Secret.
11. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 33–1 JORDAN RIVER. Confidential; Limdis; Immediate; Verbatim Text. Drafted by Crawford, cleared by Davies and Special Assistant for UN Planning Elmore Jackson, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, London, Jerusalem, and USUN; and pouched to Aleppo, Algiers, Baghdad, Jidda, Khartoum, Kuwait, Moscow, Paris, Rabat, Tripoli, and Tunis.
12. Memorandum From the Department of State’s Executive Secretary (Read) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. I. Secret. Another copy of the memorandum indicates that it was drafted by H. Earle Russell, and cleared by Talbot, Jernegan, and Charles W. Thomas, Officer in Charge of Atomic Energy Affairs in the Office of International Scientific Affairs. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AE 11–2 ISR)
13. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Solbert) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 70 A 1266, Israel 470. Secret. Filed as an attachment to a February 17 memorandum from McNamara to the Secretary of the Army.
14. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15–1 ISR. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Talbot, Russell, and Komer; cleared by Davies, Jernegan, and Komer; and approved by Talbot. An attached February 20 note from Komer to S/S states that the letter was approved by the President.
15. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AID (US) 9 UAR. Confidential. Drafted by Enoch S. Duncan and approved by Jernegan.
16. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 33–1 JORDAN RIVER. Confidential; Limited Distribution. Repeated to Tel Aviv and USUN.
17. Telegram From the Air Attache at the Embassy in Israel to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12 ISR. Secret; Priority; Noforn; Limdis. Repeated to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of State, Air Force Chief of Staff, Department of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, and 1127 USAF Field Arty Group at Fort Belvoir, VA. The Department of State copy is the source text.
18. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. I. Top Secret. Another copy of the memorandum indicates that it was drafted by Francois M. Dickman and Davies. The copy is filed with a memorandum of February 27 from Bundy to Rusk conveying the President’s approval. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 NEAR E)
19. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. I. Top Secret.
20. Letter From President Johnson to President Nasser
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, UAR, Presidential Correspondence. Secret. The letter bears no indication of the drafter. The text of the letter was transmitted in telegram 3968 to Cairo, February 27, which indicates that the text was received from the White House. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 1 UAR-US) A February 26 memorandum from Komer to Bundy notes that he had rewritten a draft sent with Rusk’s February 19 memorandum to Johnson (see footnote 2, Document 19).
21. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Jernegan) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 19–3 US–ISR. Secret. Drafted by Russell and cleared by Jeffrey C. Kitchen, Kenneth L. Brown of INR, Davies, Adrian S. Fisher, Deputy Counselor and Vice Chairman of Policy Planning Henry D. Owen, and Edward A. Padelford, Jr., of NR. The memorandum was received in Johnson’s office on March 2.
22. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Vol. I. Top Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Dickman on February 28; cleared by Walt Rostow, Komer, U. Alexis Johnson, Adrian Fisher, and Sloan; and approved by Jernegan and Rusk.
23. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 ISR. Secret. Drafted by Russell on March 10 and approved in S on March 16. The memorandum text is marked Part I of IV.
24. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 US/McCLOY. Top Secret; Exdis. Received at 5:04 p.m.
25. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL UAR-US. Secret. Received at 6:35 p.m.
26. Memorandum for Record
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Vol. I. Secret. Copies were sent to Rusk, Harriman, Bundy, Jernegan, Department of Defense General Counsel John T. McNaughton, and Myer Feldman at the White House.
27. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, National Security Action Memorandums, NSAM 290. Secret.
28. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 70 A 1266, Israel 470. Secret. A stamped note reads, “Mr. Vance has seen.”
29. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, National Security Action Memorandums, NSAM 290. No classification marking. An attached brief memorandum from Bundy to Feldman proposed combining their papers on the tank issue. Feldman agreed in a handwritten note on Bundy’s memorandum.
30. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 32–1 PAL. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Lucien L. Kinsolving; cleared by Davis, Jernegan, Stephen Campbell of IO/UNP, and Harriman’s Special Assistant Frederick Chapin; and approved by Harriman. Also sent to Jerusalem and repeated to Amman.