Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 1

320/9–1752: Telegram

No. 488
The Ambassador in Israel (Davis) to the Department of State¹

secret
priority

Tel Aviv, September 17, 1952—7 p.m.

448.² Deptel 272³ and Embtels 411⁴ and 304.⁵ FonMin Sharett informed me this afternoon that Israel’s Chargé in Paris had recd what purported to be reply to IG’s offer to meet reps of Egypt’s new regime. A person claiming to bring msg directly from Naguib stated that he was authorized to say present regime has no aggressive designs against Israel, that any public pronouncements to contrary shld not be taken too seriously, that Naguib now deeply immersed in internal affairs making it impossible attack issues of fon policy at present, and that early opportunity wld be taken to estab contact to discuss certain matters which were not specified. Since this msg was delivered about 6 or 7 Sept, Sharett assumes that it did not come through Aly Maher. IG has no means of verifying authenticity of msg, but is disposed to take it as relation to earlier IG initiative. FonMin had opportunity discuss matter with Israel’s Chargé in Paris and authorized latter to reply orally as fols:

(1) Express gen appreciation of msg since it was “not unfriendly”.

(2) Say that Israel was following with sympathetic interest efforts improve situation in Egypt and

(3) Offer suggestion that if there wld be any value in drawing on IG experience in developing agricultural settlements govt wld be glad cooperate on technical level or in any way that might seem useful.

Sharett seemed entirely realistic with reference practical difficulties in way of rapprochement with Egypt and he viewed present development with much reserve. He pointed out, however, that the two personalities which had been regarded as most obstructive to any step toward regional peace, namely Farouk and Assan, had now been eliminated from their influential positions.

Davis

1. Repeated to Cairo, Paris, and London.
2. Telegram 448 was orginally numbered 451.
3. Telegram 272 to Tel Aviv, a repeat of telegram 569 to Cairo, Sept. 13, not printed, reported that the Egyptian Chargé in Washington had commented to the Department that Egypt could not at this juncture think of entering into discussions on the subject of rapprochement with Israel. At this time of internal revolution, he said, Egypt neeeded all the friends she had, and attempting to settle differences with Israel would alienate Iraq, Syria, and other Arab states opposed to such a settlement. (320/9–1252)
4. Document 483.
5. Document 472.