Israeli requests for arms and economic assistance; the question of refugees, the problem of Jordan River water diversion; and Prime Minister Ben Gurion’s visit to the United States, March 9–13, 1960


1. Memorandum of a Conversation, New York, January 1, 1958

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Confidential. Drafted by Barco.


2. Memorandum by the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.80/1–258. Secret. Drafted by Dulles and sent to Herter (who also initialed the source text), Murphy, and Rountree.


3. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/1–758. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on January 6, cleared in UNP, and initialed for Dulles by Rountree. Repeated to Amman, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv.


4. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 9, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/1–958. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom on January 10 and initialed by Herter.


5. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 14, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/1–1458. Secret. Drafted by Bergus on January 15 and approved by Herter. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 514, January 14. (Ibid.)


6. Memorandum by the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Greene)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/2–458. Secret.


7. Letter From the Under Secretary of State (Herter) to the Ambassador in Lebanon (McClintock)

Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers. Secret. Drafted by Herter.


8. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/2–2758. Confidential Drafted by Bergus on February 26; initialed by Rountree and Sisco who concurred; and transmitted to Dulles through Dillon who initialed it. A handwritten notation on the source text indicates that Dulles saw it.


9. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 27, 1958, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/2–2758. Secret. Drafted by Bergus. See also infra and Document 11.


10. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 27, 1958, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Bergus. See also supra and infra.


11. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 27, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.424/2–2758. Secret. Drafted by Bergus. See also Document 9 and supra.


12. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. No classification marking. According to another copy, this memorandum was drafted by Bergus on March 3. (Department of State, Central Files, 884A.424/3–458) The source text bears the handwritten notation: “OK DE”.


13. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Villard) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/3–658. Secret. Drafted by Villard and initialed by Herter.


14. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, March 27, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/3–2758. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on March 28 and initialed by Herter. Eban and Herter also discussed a summit conference and the general situation in the Middle East. Memoranda of these parts of the conversation are ibid., 396.1/3–2758 and 684A.86/3–2758.


15. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Cutler) to the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Administrative Series. Secret. The source text bears the President’s initials.


16. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 4, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/4–458. Secret. Drafted by Bergus and initialed by Rountree.


17. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/4–858. Secret.


18. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 15, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/4–1558. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Gamon on April 17. A briefing memorandum for Wilcox for his conversation with Labouisse is ibid.,IO/UNP Files: Lot 79 D 215, Palestine Refugees General Correspondence.


19. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 21, 1958, 5:35 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884.424/4–2158. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on April 22 and initialed by Herter. A summary of this conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 747, April 23. (Ibid., 884A.424/4–2358)


20. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers. No classification marking. No drafting information is given on the source text.


21. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 22, 1958, 11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784.00/4–2358. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on April 24 and initialed by Herter. A summary of this conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 747, April 23. (Ibid., 884A.424/4–2358)


22. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Villard) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 70 D 229. Secret. Copies were also sent to IO, NEA, and USUN.


23. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/6–1658. Secret. Drafted by Bergus, cleared in draft with UNP, and initialed for Dulles by Rockwell. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem, and USUN.


24. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.84A/6–1858. Secret.


25. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/6–2858. Secret. Drafted by Bergus on June 27; cleared by Wilcox, EUR, and W/MSC; initialed by Rountree; and sent through S/S. A handwritten notation on the source text indicates that Dulles saw it.


26. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 30, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.84A/6–3058. Secret. Drafted by Bergus on July 1.


27. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.84/7–1158. Confidential. Drafted by Wahl on July 9, initialed by Rountree, concurred in by Walmsley, and sent through S/S. On July 11, Rountree also sent Herter a memorandum on the Israeli arms request. Herter approved granting an export license for 50 half-tracks, deferred action on the recoilless rifles, and approved asking the Israelis to try other sources on the .50-caliber machineguns. (Ibid.,NEA/NE Files: Lot 65 D 5, Defense Files)


28. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 601.84A11/7–2058. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London, Paris, Amman, Beirut, Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus.


29. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 21, 1958

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Bergus on July 22. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 61, July 21. (Ibid., Central Files, 780.00/7–2158)


30. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, July 25, 1958, 10:42 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.