356. Memorandum From W. Howard Wriggins of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) and the President’s Special Consultant (Bundy)1

SUBJECT

  • Conversation with Chris Herter on Jerusalem Resolution2

Chris Herter telephoned to express to me the acute concern that he and his other oil colleagues have regarding possible repercussions if for a second time we do not support the Jerusalem resolution.

He reports that the effects in the Arab countries of our abstention on the Pak resolution were devastating. None of the Arabs can understand what to them was a technical position which we took—a position which they see as clearly favoring Israel and giving Israel the benefit of the doubt.

He urged us most earnestly, therefore, this time to consider the political effects throughout the Middle East of a second abstention. No amount of technical discussion on the terms of the resolution would help within the Arab world. He sees this largely as a question of passion and posture, not of specific textual language.

Howard
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. VIII. Secret.
  2. A resolution submitted by Pakistan on July 12 deplored the Israeli failure to implement resolution 2253 (ES–V) (see footnote 2, Document 344), reiterated the call to Israel in that resolution to rescind measures already taken and desist from taking any action which would alter the status of Jerusalem, requested the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council and the General Assembly on the situation and on the implementation of the resolution, and requested the Security Council to ensure its implementation. For text of the resolution and a revised version submitted the next day, see UN documents A/L.528 and A/L.528/Rev. 1 and Rev. 2.