ISBAEL                            92


501.BB P alesttne/4-I949: Telegram
     The Comnul at Jerusalem (Burdet.t) to the ,Secretary of State

SECRET                             JERUSALEM, April 19, 1949--5 P.-m.
  309. Palun 130. From    Ethridge for the, President and Acheson.
Please read this in connection with Palun 129 April, 19.'
   [Here follow first two paragraphs requesting Mr. Ethridge's relief
as American member of the Palestine Conciliation Commission, to
return to his newspapers.]
  As for the work here: We are beginning to see the beginning of the
end. I assume a Jerusalem plan acceptable to the US and in major
degree to countries involved can be worked out. In fact it is in the
making'and Halderman will present it to Department when he comes
home. At any rate, it will not be presented to Assembly until
September.
   After nine weeks we have persuaded Arabs to sit down for peace
talks with the Jews. If there is fuil-dress debate at Lake Success on
admission of Israel, there will be a delay of several weeks in beginning
those talks on any effective basis for reasons set out in Palum 129. If
such a delay were inevitable, I would in any case have to ask for relief.
If fight: over Israel's admission is not serious, negotiations would go
along quickly at Lausanne, I am convinced. Egypt and Israel apparent-
ly both anxious to sign; outstanding difficulties between Israel and
Lebanon and Syria not so serious that long negotiations would be
involved. Major negotiations between Transjordan and Israel, and my
belief is that Israel will get pretty much what she wants and give very
little, if anything,
   Refugee problem, most serious of all, is one that will hang on for
 two or three years. Commission cannot solve it, but can set up machin-
 ery for solution providing US Government agrees to general plan.

   Identified also ,as ,telegram 308 from Jerusalem, not printed; Mr. Ethridge
 reported that at the Israeli Prime Minister's request, he had "proceeded
from
 Jerusalem to Tiberias April 18 for purpose of further discussions re refugees
and
 Jerusalem prior to PCC departure for Lausanne. Ben-Gurion added nothing
new
 of substance to his previ'ous statements of Israeli policy to PC0 but made
some
 interesting remarks re details which are being reported separately."
   Following this meeting, Mr. Ethlridge saw Mr. Comay, wh'o informed that
the
 Israeli Foreign Office was "considerably concerned" because the
question of
 Israeli admission to the United Nations had been referred to Committee One
by
 the General Assembly. Mr. Comay was unsure whether this action ,was merely
a
 delaying device by the "Arabs, British and others" or whether
a full-dress
 debate would follow "during which it would be necessary for Israel
substantively
 to: state its position re such outstanding questions as refugees and Jerusalem."
 Mr. Ethridge concluded that "In view of Israel's intransigeance particularly
on
 refugees and territorial questions and her unwillingness to heed advice
from
 US which I believe would h-ave kept her out of her jam at GA, it would probably
 be salutary to have world public opinion brought to bear upon her through
UN."
 (501.BB Palestine/4-1949)


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