262.84A41/3–1251
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (McGhee)1
Subject: Reply to Israel Note Requesting German Reparations of $1,500 Million.
[Page 751]| Participants: | Theodore Kollek, Minister, Embassy of Israel. |
| Moshe Keren, Counselor, Embassy of Israel. | |
| Mr. McGhee—NEA. | |
| Mr. Lewis—GER. | |
| Mr. Waldo—NE. |
In the absence of the Ambassador, the Israel Minister Theodore Kollek was requested to call to receive the Department’s reply2 to the Israel note of March 12, requesting United States assistance in obtaining $1,500 million reparations from Germany. I told him that while we regretted the reply was negative, we had not asked for our share of reparations from Germany and were precluded by an agreement with France and Britain from asking for reparations on behalf of others, at least pending the negotiation of a final peace settlement. In order not to prejudice any negotiations which the Israelis might wish to undertake directly with the West German Government, however, we would not release the text of our reply and imagined that Israel likewise would not wish to do so. I hoped that the Israel Government understood that the fact of a negative reply had no bearing on the sympathy which the United States had had for the Jews who had suffered at the hands of the Nazis. As Israel well knew, the United States had given many concrete evidences of its sympathy in this regard. I said that Mr. Lewis of the Bureau of German Affairs was present to answer any detailed questions the Israel representatives might have on the note.
Mr. Kollek said that the Israel Government was prepared for a negative reply. He wished to point out, however, that the request had not been based on the actual damage done to the Jews but rather on the moral issue that Israel had absorbed many of the Jews who had suffered and lost property at the hands of the Germans. The Minister expressed his appreciation for all that had been done by the United States to alleviate the suffering of the Jews and to assist Israel. So far as compensation from Germany was concerned, Israel did not expect to let the matter rest and would probably approach the Department again on other aspects of this matter. A prominent American economist had been hired by the Israel Government to survey the German economy to determine that country’s capacity to pay compensation to Israel.
Mr. Lewis told the Minister that the United States was sympathetic to Israel obtaining some form of compensation from Germany and we had authorized our High Commissioner to talk with other High Commissioners with a view to freeing the balances which had accrued to the Jewish Restitutions Successor Organization to be used in the purchase of German goods useful to Israel.
[Page 752]Mr. Kollek said that Bremen had already reached a settlement with the Jewish Restitutions Successor Organization to the extent of 20 million marks. Israel hoped a similar settlement could now be reached with Wurttemberg-Baden. Settlement with Bavaria was more distant.
Mr. Lewis said that the fact that the American note was negative did not indicate any diminution on our part of pressure on the Germans to fulfill their commitments on restitutions and balances. At this time notes almost identical to the United States reply were being delivered to Israel representatives in London and Paris. The United Kingdom had agreed not to publish the note unless there was considerable pressure to do so, and we had asked the French to withhold publicity also. If for some reason or other it should subsequently become necessary to release the reply, we would consult with the Israelis beforehand. The Israel representatives expressed appreciation for the Department’s action on this latter point and said that they would prefer not to release the text of the Department’s reply. (The following day Mr. Waldo informed Mr. Keren that the French had agreed to no publicity on this matter.)