43. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson1
Eshkol’s second negative reply (Tel Aviv 1054 attached)2 to your renewed personal appeal that he let us reassure Nasser about Dimona [Page 103] is probably not final. Instead, I’d see it as a bargaining counter he wants to hold out for his meeting with you.
So instead of going back again, I suggest we too hold off; meanwhile we’ll tell Israelis of your disappointment.3
Eshkol’s negative and Mike Feldman’s inability to move him on missiles further strengthen our suspicions that Israel is heading for a nuclear deterrent, even though some years off. We thus face a tough decision as to how hard we want to hit Eshkol when here, given our flat opposition to nuclear proliferation. We’ll have this fully staffed out for you.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, Israel, PM Eshkol Correspondence. Secret.↩
- A copy of Eshkol’s April 15 letter is attached. Telegram 1054, April 15, which transmitted the text, is in the National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AE 11–2 ISR.↩
- Bundy wrote “agree” in the margin next to this paragraph.↩
- Bundy initialed below Komer’s signature.↩