Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1964–1967


181. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Priority; Exdis. The message was drafted at the White House and sent to the Department of State with a note from Bundy stating that it had been cleared in substance by Ball and should not be sent until Talbot saw it. The telegram indicates that it was cleared by Talbot.


182. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 ISR. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Text received from the White House, cleared by McGeorge Bundy, and approved by Jernegan. The substance of the telegram was apparently decided at a meeting of the President, McNamara, Rusk, Ball, and McGeorge Bundy between 6:01 and 7 p.m. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary) No record of the meeting has been found. Briefing memoranda and draft cables prepared for the meeting are ibid., National Security File, Country File, Harriman Israeli Mission (II), and in Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 70 A 1266, Israel 470.


183. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 ISR. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Received on March 9 at 6:58 p.m. and passed to the White House.


184. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Received on March 10 at 8:32 p.m. and passed to the White House.


185. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Received on March 10 at 8:38 p.m. and passed to the White House and DOD.


186. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Davies; cleared by Stoddart at DOD/ISA and Bunte and in substance by Rusk and by Bundy for the President; and approved by Ball. Repeated to Tel Aviv.


187. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79–R01012A,ODDI Registry of NIE and SNIE Files. Secret; Controlled Dissem. A table of contents is not printed. According to a note on the cover sheet, the estimate was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the U.S. Intelligence Board on March 10. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense, AEC, and NSA participated in its preparation. The State, Defense, AEC, and NSA representatives concurred; the FBI representative abstained, the subject being outside his jurisdiction.


188. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Exclusive Distribution. Received at 8:10 a.m. Repeated to Tel Aviv.


189. Letter From Prime Minister Eshkol to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security Files, Special Head of State Correspondence Fle, Israel, Presidential Correspondence. No classification marking.


190. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Harriman Israeli Mission (II). Secret.


191. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Harriman) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Harriman Israeli Mission (II). Secret. Filed with a covering note from Bundy stating that the memorandum was Harriman’s report on his mission and that Bundy did not think it needed the President’s attention but had promised to forward it to him. A handwritten “L” and an “NR” on the covering note indicates that it was seen but not read by the President.


192. Letter From President Johnson to President Nasser

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, United Arab Republic, Presidential Correspondence. Secret. Filed with a draft by Bundy, an earlier draft, and related memoranda. In a March 18 telephone conversation, Bundy told Ball that the President wanted a short letter, and Bundy had dictated one. (Ibid., Ball Papers, United Arab Republic)


193. 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, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Talbot, Symmes, and Komer; cleared by Davies and Komer; and approved by Talbot.


194. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 1 NEAR E-US. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Symmes on March 18; cleared by Director of the Office of Northern African Affairs David D. Newsom, Davies, and Komer; and approved by Talbot. Sent to Amman, Baghdad, Jidda, Kuwait, Beirut, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Khartoum and repeated to Damascus, Taiz, and Cairo. Circular telegram 1752 to the same Embassies, March 20, requested that they delay action on circular telegram 1750 until they were advised to proceed. (Ibid., DEF 12–5 ISR) Circular telegram 1842, March 31, instructed them to do so. (Ibid.) Reports of the Embassies’ presentations made in response to circular telegram 1750 are ibid. and ibid., POL NEAR E.


195. Letter From President Johnson to Prime Minister Eshkol

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, Israel, Presidential Correspondence. No classification marking. The letter bears no indication of the drafter. Another copy lists both Johnson and Bundy as drafters, but it is filed with a March 22 memorandum from Bundy to Johnson indicating that it was drafted by Bundy. (Ibid., Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. 9)


196. Telegram From the Department of State of the Embassy in France

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AE 11–2 ISR. Confidential. Drafted by Russell and Richard G. Long in EUR/WE; cleared by Davies, Talbot, Brown in INR, Officer in Charge of Atomic Energy Affairs in SCI Charles W. Thomas, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Robert C. Creel; and approved by Ball. Repeated to Tel Aviv.


197. 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; Priority; Exdis.


198. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Presidential Decisions (LBJ), 1965. Secret.


199. Circular Airgram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 3 PAL ENTITY. Confidential; Air Pouch. Drafted by Stackhouse on March 12; cleared by Davies and Director of the Office of South Asian Affairs Turner C. Cameron, Jr., and in draft by Deputy Director of the Office of Northern African Affairs James J. Blake and Stephen J. Campbell; and approved by Talbot. Sent to Aden, Aleppo, Alexandria, Algiers, Amman, Baghdad, Baida, Basra, Beirut, Benghazi, Cairo, Casablanca, Constantine, Damascus, Djakarta, Jerusalem, Jidda, Khartoum, Kuwait, London, New Delhi, Oran, Paris, Port Said, Rabat, Taiz, Tripoli, Tunis, USUN, and Karachi.


200. 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, POL 1 UAR-US. Secret;Limdis; Noforn. Drafted by Jones, cleared by Davies, and approved by Rusk.


201. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 33–1 JORDAN RIVER. Confidential. Drafted by Stackhouse, cleared by Symmes, and approved by Jernegan. Sent to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem, London, Paris, Tel Aviv, and to Geneva for Talbot.


202. 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. IV. Secret. A note in Johnson’s handwriting reads as follows: “BOB—See that MacArthur, O’Brien, Ball & Company check with all appropriate chr [chairmen] & leaders before we move. Then give me results at once. L.”


203. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL NEAR E. Secret; Limited Distribution. Repeated to Geneva for Talbot and to Rabat, Tripoli, London, Beirut, Damascus, Tel Aviv, Tunis, Jidda, Kuwait, Baghdad, Algiers, Cairo, and Jerusalem.


204. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 3 PAL ENTITY. Confidential. Drafted by Jones.


205. 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, ORG 7 NEA. Secret; Exdis. No time of transmission is given on the telegram, which was received on April 16 at 2:24 a.m.


206. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 ISR. Secret; Exdis. A written notation in an unknown hand reads, “Good show!”


207. 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) 15 UAR. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Jones and Symmes; cleared by Jernegan, Bennsky, and McGeorge Bundy and in draft by Deputy Director of AID’s Office of Near Eastern Affairs John Kean and in substance by Emmett B. Ford of GER; and approved by Ball. Also sent to Bonn.


208. 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, ORG 7 NEA. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Passed to the White House.


209. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 6–1 JORDAN. Secret. The time of transmission is not indicated on the telegram, which was received at 8:46 p.m. Repeated to CINCSTRIKE, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Baghdad.


210. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel 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 Amman, Beirut, Bonn, Damascus, London, Paris,USUN, Jerusalem, POLAD CINCSTRIKE/CINCMEAFSA, Cairo, Rome, Algiers, Baghdad, Jidda, Kuwait, Rabat, Taiz, Tripoli, and Tunis.