510. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson1
Washington, November 6, 1967, 7:15
p.m.
Mr. President:
I have talked with Nick Katzenbach; and he tells me that he and Sect. Rusk wish you to be brought up to date on the following:
- 1.
- It looks as though the Soviet Union and Nasser are moving away at this time from a mutually acceptable resolution; and they may put on the table of the Security Council at any time the Indian draft resolution (Tab A).2
- 2.
- On the face of it, the Indian resolution looks not unreasonable; but it is unacceptable to the Israelis because it gives priority to a call for withdrawal of Israeli forces to the pre-June 5 positions, and it is much less precise on the question of the recognition of Israel and the termination of belligerency.
- 3.
- Arthur Goldberg does not wish to get into a tactical position of looking negative and defensive in the face of the Indian resolution, and he may wish to pre-empt the Indian resolution by placing his resolution on the table (Tab B).3
- 4.
- Secretary Rusk and Nick, therefore, wish your clearance, on a contingency basis, for Arthur to proceed if the tactical situation demands it.
- 5.
- A somewhat fuller explanatory memo to me from the State Department Secretariat is attached (Tab C).4
Walt
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, United Nations, Vol. 7. Secret. A handwritten note on the memorandum indicates it was received at 7:30 p.m.↩
- “Indian Draft Resolution,” November 6; not printed.↩
- “Draft U.S. Resolution,” undated; not printed.↩
- Memorandum from Walsh to Walt Rostow, November 6; not printed.↩
- This option is checked; a handwritten note on the memorandum states that Katzenbach was notified on November 7.↩