Office of the Historian

44. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State1

Washington, October 31, 1958.

SUBJECT

  • Recommendation that you Send Message to Prime Minister Ben Gurion Concerning Jordan

Discussion:

Prime Minister Ben Gurion on October 26 gave an interview to the London Sunday Times (Tab C)2 stating that if the status quo in Jordan were to be altered, the West Bank should be demilitarized and controlled by a UN police force. In response to a query with regard to the effect on Israel of the withdrawal of British troops in Jordan, Ben Gurion declared Israel must be prepared to deal with any combination [Page 105] of at least the following conditions: 1) Existing regime in Jordan remains in power; 2) new government formed effecting compromise between present regime and pro-Nasser elements; 3) dissident West Bank Arabs stage coup eliminating monarchy, and 4) Egypt invades Jordan and overthrows the regime by force.

Ben Gurion has subsequently stated publicly that the above interview represented his personal views and not those of the Israel Government. The Cairo press has charged that the interview indicates that Israel is preparing to take military action against Jordan, and the UAR Ambassador came in yesterday under instructions to express the same thesis in terms of grave concern. The Ambassador referred also to reports received by the UAR that Israel had ordered general mobilization (Tab B).3

The report concerning mobilization to which the Ambassador alluded turned out to be from the Cairo press and has been officially denied in Israel. We have no information which would confirm that Israel is undertaking the measures which would be the necessary prelude to major military action. We recall, however, past assertions of Prime Minister Ben Gurion to Mr. Murphy and of Foreign Minister Meir to the British Ambassador in Tel Aviv to the effect that Israel could not tolerate a UAR takeover in Jordan. We have spoken in general terms to the Israelis here about our continuing opposition to aggression by any party in the Middle East but believe that it would be useful in removing any doubt whatsoever from the minds of the Israelis on this point if you were to send a brief message to Prime Minister Ben Gurion. The official demarche of the UAR to us affords a suitable opportunity. A suggested message is attached at Tab A.4

Recommendation:

That you sign the suggested message to Prime Minister Ben Gurion at Tab A.5

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85/10–3158. Secret. Drafted by Rockwell on October 30, initialed by Rountree, and sent through S/S.↩
  2. None of the tabs is attached to the source text. Tab C, a copy of telegram 363 from Tel Aviv, October 27, is ibid., 684A.85/10–2758.↩
  3. A copy of Tab B, telegram 1239 to Cairo, is ibid., 684A.85/10–3058. The memorandum of conversation on which it is based and telegram 1321 from Cairo, October 29, which reported a similar démarche by the Egyptian Assistant Under Secretary, are ibid., 684A.86B/10–3058 and 684A.86B/10–2958.↩
  4. For text of the message as sent, see infra.↩
  5. Dulles’ initials, in an unidentified hand, appear on the source text,↩