784A.02/7–1153:Telegram
No. 636
The Ambassador in Lebanon (Minor) to the Department of State1
priority
45. Transfer Israeli Foreign Office to Jerusalem affords I believe first real test of new American policy toward Near East. For six months Arabs have heard reports of new American policy toward Near East and have been encouraged. For six months they have listened to promises whether direct or implied and have become hopeful. But their mode, if I understand it, is one of firm determination to see promises and words translated into concrete acts. For them this means political acts; no amount of aid or arms will alter this fact. Arab faces will turn from eastward prayers to Mecca and look inquiringly and hopefully westward to see how West especially US meets this Israeli move. They would be electrified by a simple American statement that we had advised Israel not to move Foreign Office to Jerusalem, that we do not intend to move our Embassy to Jerusalem and that our officials will not be permitted to go to Jerusalem to conduct business. If on the contrary this is handled in such a manner as to give credence to the widely held Arab view that we are incapable of saying “no” to political Zionism our [Page 1255] reversal in the Arab world would be severe and most of the constructive planning of the last six months will have been for naught.
- Repeated to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Cairo, Amman, Baghdad, and Damascus.↩