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  4. Document 287

287. Notes of a Meeting of the NSC Special Committee1

Washington, June 14, 1967, 6:30 p.m.

THOSE PRESENT

  • Vice President
  • McNamara
  • Fowler
  • Katzenbach
  • Vance
  • Wheeler
  • Helms
  • Clifford
  • W.W. Rostow
  • McG. Bundy
  • E.V. Rostow
  • Amb. Thompson
  • Battle
  • Sisco
  • Harry McPherson
  • Harold Saunders

Secretary Rusk and Amb. Goldberg came in about 7:00 p.m.

George Christian came in at 7:30 p.m.

President came in at 7:38 p.m.

1. Restatement US arms supply policy 2

  • para 1. no problem
  • para 2. approved (Jordan. F–104’s not a problem until fall.)
  • para 3. approved
  • para 4. Policy3 guidance—We are reviewing, but review against this policy.4

Israel

48 A–4: we don’t have; we can’t accelerate.

[Page 479]

250 M–60 tanks

Hawks batteries

McN. wld be unwilling to overrule services.5

Must avoid any position that looks as if we are reneging on any agreement.

[Get redraft of earlier order that reflects these points.]6

Should we unhook from 1949 agreements?

(Sisco: Art. 12 of GAA calls for renegotiation)

Katz: Unhook but don’t say those aren’t g [sentence not completed].

Circulate full text of Ambassador Goldberg’s statement of 13 June.7

Rusk:

1.
Nothing in lines jeopardize Israel if they are peace lines.
2.
Self-determination: West Bank.
  • —Israel’s keeping territory wld create a revanchism for the rest of the 20th c.
3.
Israel must be accepted.
  • —McN. doesn’t think recognition alone enough.

Goldberg:

1.
Israelis willing to create internat’l religious enclaves in Jerusalem.
2.
Syria creates greatest USSR concern.

WWR: Use Syrian heights to bargain on arms race.

Thompson: USSR would accept Israel, open Aqaba, Jerusalem—but on territory they wouldn’t.

Consensus:

If Kosygin comes, you shld go.

If not, far from clear.

Tents for Jordan: 8

[Page 480]

—Through UNRWA 9

Water drops:

If Red Cross agrees, we wld go ahead.

Katz: Tourist ban.

Pres: Not now.10

  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Special Committee Files, Minutes and Notes. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room at the White House. The notes are Saunders’ handwritten notes of the meeting. The President’s Daily Diary indicates that the meeting ended at 8:25 p.m. It lists NSC staff member Roger Morris and John Devine among those present, in addition to those listed here. (Johnson Library) See also Document 288. Bundy sent an agenda to the President earlier that day, with attached outlines of a possible statement to the United Nations, headed “Another Possible Outline,” “Rostow Draft Summary,” and “Sisco Draft Summary.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Special Committee Files, Special Committee #1) A notation on another copy of “Another Possible Outline” indicates it was drafted by Bundy. (Ibid., Special Committee Meetings)↩
  2. See the attachment to Document 288.↩
  3. The word “Press?” is inserted above the word “Policy”.↩
  4. “Press guidance” is written in the left margin.↩
  5. The section headed “Israel” is written to the right of paragraph 4 under section headed “Restatement US arms supply policy.”↩
  6. Brackets in the handwritten source text.↩
  7. “Morris doing” is written in the left margin. Reference is to Goldberg’s first June 13 statement; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, July 3, 1967, pp. 5–9.↩
  8. A June 14 memorandum from Bundy to the Special Committee on the subject “Tents for Jordan,” states that the Jordanian Government had requested 5,000–10,000 tents and noted steps that other countries were taking to provide emergency relief. Bundy recommended sending the tents. He stated, “We badly need a few gestures toward our moderate Arab friends to balance the increasingly effective Nasser charges that we have sided completely with Israel. This is a one-shot arrangement. It is not likely to get us dug in on any long-term program of refugee relief. Leonard Marks informs me he can make effective use of a gesture of this kind on The Voice of America.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Special Committee Files, Special Committee Meetings)↩
  9. “Working for refugees and residents on both sides.” is written to the right of these words. The words “President approved.” are written below. “Tell USIA,” with a telephone number, is written next to those words.↩
  10. “SA, Kuw, Mor, Tun, Leb?, Israel” are listed next to the last two lines.↩