S/PRS files, lot 77 D 22
No. 709
Verbatim Record of the Press and Radio
News Conference of the Secretary of State, Washington, October 27,
1953
[Extract]
. . . . . . .
Q. Mr. Secretary, several visitors talked with you yesterday about the aid to Israel problem. Could you tell us something about those talks and also under what conditions the United States would be prepared to restore full economic aid to Israel?
A. Let me say that your question carries an implication that I would have to correct when you say “restoring full economic aid to Israel.” You understand that what has happened was that Congress appropriated a lump sum to be available for this fiscal year ending next June 30 for the area of the Near East and North Africa. So far, except for technical assistance, no grants have been made to anyone out of that fund for economic assistance. Now when you get into the reason why there has been a deferment in this matter, all I can say is that I do not think that I can very properly discuss that this morning because while we are talking here this same subject is being discussed before the Security Council, which is considering the report of General Bennike with reference to the Jordan water diversion, hydro-electric project on which he has asked for a suspension of work by Israel. As long as that is up at the moment for discussion at this very instant, by the Security Council, I think it is obviously inappropriate for me to talk about it in a way which might be misinterpreted as getting into a matter which is in the proper judicial channels.
Q. Mr. Secretary, just to make sure we understood you, you mean that there have been no allocations to the Arab States?
A. That is right. (See P.R. No. 602 attached)1
Q. Mr. Secretary, back on Indochina—2
A. Excepting, as I said, that the relatively minor technical assistance program is going ahead both in Israel and in the Arab States. That is a type of activity where the word “interruption” could not [Page 1389] properly be used because that is a continuing program and that is going on without interruption. There have been no new allocations made out of this fund, either to Israel or any Arab state.
. . . . . . .
- Department of State Press Release No. 602, Oct. 27, 1953, contained the Secretary’s response to questions concerning aid to Israel up to this point in the news conference; the text is printed in Department of State Bulletin, Nov. 16, 1953, p. 674, footnote 1.↩
- Secretary Dulles had responded earlier in the news conference to a question concerning Indochina.↩