684A.86/11–1453: Telegram
No. 728
The Secretary of
State to the United States
Mission at the United Nations
priority
227. For Lodge. We do not believe we should modify our plan to table in SC Qibya resolution as now drafted because of Eban’s speech of November 12.1 Furthermore, we hope your remarks in supporting resolution2 will conform to text sent USUN.3
Eban’s call for Israel-Jordan talks at UN and emphasis on progress towards peace, while perhaps effective in mustering public support for Israel position, not likely in practice to contribute to improving Near Eastern situation. We see no prospect whatsoever that Jordan, particularly at this time, would consent engage in such talks with Israel. Bennike’s reports demonstrated Israel’s culpability for Qibya incident and we believe she should be censured for this attack both as deterrent to repetition and as essential move to counter Arab conviction neither UN nor US prepared act against Israel. Reports from field indicate strength of Arab reaction against US stemming from Qibya and Banat Ya’qub incidents [Page 1413] and our asserted stalling in UN. We believe action as planned necessary accomplish our present objective of dispelling Arab distrust of our motives as prerequisite to use our influence in guiding them towards eventual settlement. Despite Eban’s emphasis on Israel’s general desire for “peace”, we have no evidence to indicate she prepared follow course which in practice will make settlement possible. We think that following SC action immediate security problem should be met by concrete measures taken on spot, and that step by step approach offers best prospects for eventual over-all settlement.
We think it preferable to avoid public comment on Eban proposal. (In any case we should not express our views until after speech by Jordan representative.) If you then believe comment necessary either in your SC statement or talks to press, we suggest following:
“US welcomes any practical steps which could be taken to improve security situation on borders between Israel and the Arab States. It doubts, however, whether the proposal of the Delegate of Israel represents the best method of accomplishing desired results. US believes discussions on the spot through the established United Nations Truce Supervision Organization machinery are more likely to produce definitive improvements in situation. It might be particularly helpful to explore means of strengthening ‘local commanders’ agreement’, which, according to the report of Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization to Security Council, has been useful in reducing border incidents.”
We think Qibya resolution should be tabled as sookn as practicable both to allay charges of procrastination and prevent possible embarrassment to us of having to vote down any unacceptable Arab resolution introduced. Therefore, provided French and UK concurrence obtained, we hope you can table Qibya resolution in concert with other two powers November 17. Since Jordan statement expected November 16 this appears to be earliest date which will permit us maintain position views both sides considered. We hope tripartite agreement on Banat Ya’qub resolution will be possible in time permit its introduction November 18.
In view strong desires Arab delegations we believe it is important that you show interested parties text of Qibya resolution November 16. Agreement of UK and French delegations to this procedure should be obtained.
- U.N. doc. S/PV. 637.↩
- The pending draft resolution on the Qibya incident, sponsored by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, was introduced as S/3139. Department of State documentation concerning drafting changes is largely contained in file 684A.85.↩
- For the text of Ambassador Wadsworth’s remarks as delivered in the Security Council on Nov. 20 in support of the draft resolution, see U.N. doc. S/PV.640. For the text of the revised draft resolution as adopted on Nov. 24, see Document 738.↩