U.S.-ISRAELI DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING THE DISPOSITION OF GAZA AND ISRAELI ACCESS THROUGH THE STRAITS OF TIRAN; CONSIDERATION OF ARAB-ISRAELI PROBLEMS DURING THE NASSER VISIT; MOVEMENT TOWARD SANCTIONS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST IN THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL QUESTION; ISRAELI DECISION TO WITHDRAW FORCES FROM THE SINAI PENINSULA AND THE GAZA STRIP, JANUARY 1–MARCH 8
121. Message From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Ben Gurion
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/2–2027. Secret. Transmitted to Lawson in telegram 809, February 20, 3:53 p.m., which is the source text. On February 20 at 2:15 p.m., Wilkins handed the text of this message to Zev Argaman of the Israeli Embassy and requested him to telephone the substance of the message to Ben Gurion. (Memorandum of conversation by Bergus, February 20; ibid.) Telegram 809 includes an explanation to Lawson that the message had been given to the Israeli Embassy in the “interest of speed”. The telegram was drafted by Wilkins and cleared in substance with Rountree, Dulles, and President Eisenhower. Dulles’ and Eisenhower’s additions are indicated in footnotes below.
122. Letter From the Israeli Chargé (Shiloah) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784.13/2–2057. At 6 p.m. on February 20, Shiloah called on Rountree at the Department of State and reported that Eisenhower’s message (supra) had been read over the telephone to Ben Gurion as requested. Shiloah then handed Rountree this letter as an indication of Ben Gurion’s initial reaction to the message. (Memorandum of conversation by Bergus, February 20; ibid., 674.84A/2–2057)
A copy of the letter, sent to President Eisenhower during the evening of February 20, is in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series.
123. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in Washington and Arthur H. Dean in New Haven, Connecticut, February 20, 1957, 6:20 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.
124. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/2–2157. Secret; Niact; Presidential Handling. Received at 10:30 a.m. Also sent to USUN. A marginal notation of the source text by Bernau reads: “Sec saw”. A copy of this telegram in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File bears a marginal notation by Goodpaster indicating that the President saw the telegram on February 21.
125. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, February 21, 1957, 11:40 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.
127. Letter From the Secretary of State to Senator Lyndon B. Johnson
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320/2–1157. a marginal notation indicates the letter was delivered to Johnson on February 22.
128. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/2–2157. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Wilcox; cleared by Dulles, Rountree, and Phleger; approved by Wilcox who signed for Dulles.
129. Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Macomber) to the Secretary of State
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. A marginal notation on a chit attached to the source text reads: “Sec saw”.
130. Message From Prime Minister Ben Gurion to President Eisenhower
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/2–2257. Secret. Transmitted to the Department of State in Niact telegram 993 from Tel Aviv, February 22, 3 a.m., which is the source text, with the explanation that the text of Ben Gurion’s message had been telephoned to the Embassy from Jerusalem at 1:15 a.m., local time, on February 22. Telegram 993 was received in the Department of State at 2:48 a.m. A copy is in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File.
131. Memorandum of Telephone Conversations, Washington, February 22, 1957, 9:45 a.m. and 10:25 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President. Dulles met with the President between 9:27 and 10:25 a.m. (Record of the President’s Daily Appointments; ibid.) No record of this conversation has been found in Department of State files or the Eisenhower Library.
Following the meeting, Hagerty issued a statement indicating that among other points the President and Secretary of State had discussed Ben Gurion’s speech to the Knesset of February 22 (see telegram 996 from Tel Aviv, infra), regretted that Israel had not yet found it possible to withdraw its forces from occupied territory, noted that the door was certainly not closed to further discussion of the situation, and welcomed such further discussion. For text of Hagerty’s statement, see Department of State Bulletin, March 11, 1957, p. 394.
132. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/2–2257. Priority. Received at 11:30 a.m.; the source text does not indicate the time of transmission.
133. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in Washington and Dr. Roswell Barnes in New York, February 22, 1957, 11:45 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Asbjornson. Barnes was the Associate General Secretary of the National Council of Churches.
134. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the British Ambassador (Caccia), Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, February 22, 1957, 5:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/2–2257. Secret. Drafted by Murphy.
135. Message From Prime Minister Macmillan to President Eisenhower
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Caccia handed the text of this message to Dulles during a conversation on February 22. See the memorandum of conversation, supra.
136. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in Washington and the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) in New York, February 22, 1957, 5:40 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Asbjornson.
138. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/2–2257. Limited Official Use. Received at 10:18 p.m.
139. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/2–2357. Confidential. Received at 3:12 a.m.; the source does not indicate the time of transmission. Repeated to Amman, Paris, Moscow, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, Tel Aviv, and London.
140. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 23, 1957, 10:57 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/2–2357. Confidential. Drafted by Elbrick. The time of the meeting is from Dulles’ Appointment Book. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)
141. Message From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Macmillan
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/2–2357. Secret. Transmitted to the Embassy in London in Niact telegram 5876, February 23, 5:04 p.m., which is the source text, with the explanation: “Following letter from President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Macmillan was handed to British Embassy Duty Officer at 4:15 p.m. February 23 for immediate delivery Ambassador. Ambassador asked to transmit following message to Macmillan in reply to his message of February 22.” Telegram 5876 was drafted by Dulles and Mouser.
142. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, February 24, 1957, 3:03 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Carolyn Proctor. On Sunday, February 24, Dulles conducted Department of State business from his home in Northwest Washington. (Dulles’ Appointment Book; Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)
143. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, February 24, 1957, 3:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/2–2457. Secret. Drafted by Rountree. The Department of State transmitted a summary of the conversation to the Embassy in Tel Aviv in telegram 825, February 26. (Ibid., 674.84A/2–2657)
On February 25, Shiloah handed Rountree a copy of an Israeli working paper which summarized Eban’s queries and Dulles’ response made during this conversation; see Document 146. A copy of the Israeli working paper, which is unsigned and undated, is in Department of State, NEA/IAI Files: Lot 70 D 229, Political Affairs & Relations 1957, POL 27 Military operations, Israel Withdrawal Sanctions.
144. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, February 24, 1957, 6:45 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Carolyn Proctor.
145. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in Washington and the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) in New York, February 24, 1957, 7:02 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Proctor.
146. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Minister of the Israeli Embassy (Shiloah) and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree), Department of State, Washington, February 25, 1957
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A.2–2557. Confidential. Drafted on February 26 by Bergus.
147. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Minister of the Israeli Embassy (Shiloah), Washington, February 25, 1957, 4:41 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.
148. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, February 25, 1957, 4:33 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.
149. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in Washington and the Israeli Ambassador (Eban) in New York, February 25, 1957, 5:34 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.
150. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Dulles in Washington and Secretary-General Hammarskjöld in New York, February 25, 1957, 5:48 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.