Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XIX, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1967

70. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson ¹

Washington, May 26, 1967, 11:10 a.m.

Mr. President:

Herewith our Military Attachés in Tel Aviv state their belief that “Israel is approaching a decision in favor of a preemptive attack”; and they explain why.²

[2–1/2 lines of source text not declassified]³

One underlying problem is, of course, that the Israelis feel that the longer a confrontation over Aqaba is avoided—and the issue is kicked around in the UN—the more their rights in the Straits will become eroded.

Walt

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified].
2. The attachment conveying this assessment was telegram STRIKE 4553 from CINCSTRIKE, May 26, 0801Z.
3. [text not declassified]