876


FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1949, VOLUME VI


501.BB Palestine/3-2849: Telegram
   The Minister in Lebanon (Pinkerton) to the Secretary of State

 TOP SECRET    NIACT                BEIRUT, March 28, 1949-5 p. m.
 URGENT
 149. Palun 97. For the Secretary (and at his discretion for. the
 President) from Ethridge. Talks with Arab governments over past
 week have only confirmed what I previously reported to Department;
 That if Jews would only make conciliatory gesture on refugee prob-
 lem PCC could get on with its work of trying to get peace. Failure of
 Jews to do so has prejudiced whole cause of peaceful settlement in
 this part of world.
   As we anticipated Commission has been confronted by insistent
 demand from Arabs that Jews evidence good faith and willingness to
 abide by GA resolution December 11 before negotiations were entered.
 They argued since Jews have constantly flouted UN resolution there
 was nothing for the Arabs to gain by entering negotiations under UN
 auspices. They have maintained that only when Jews show respect for
 UN or until other guarantees of fulfillment are forthcoming will they
 be willing enter peace talks.
   Arab attitude toward refugee problem proceeds from two or three
reasons. One is that they recognize presence of 700,000 or 800,000
homeless idle people as political weapon against Jews. They feel they
can summon world opinion even if some refugees die in m:eantime.
They frankly say, moreover, that when Israel comes up for confirma-
tion in GA they intend to fight her and are trying to get their friends
to fight her on ground she cannot pretend to be peace-loviing as long
as her aggression continues and on ground that, since she is defying
UN resolution and directives, -as in the Akaba incident and on refugee
problem, it is mockery to admit her as nation willing and able under-
take obligations of charter. It has been intimated to me that govern-
ment "friendly to Arabs" might even suggest that GA direct SYG
to send telegram to PCC asking whether the countrieS: invoived under
December 11 resolution had accepted.resolution in principle and-were
assisting in implementing it. If such move is made and not de'feated
in GA I might be in very embarrassing position of having to join
fellow commissioners in reporting that Israeli Government has not
accepted resolution in principle and refuses implement it.
  Second reason for Arab position is fear of domestic repercussions
on refugee problem. Since Egypt and Saudi Arabia have no refugees
(Egypt has reportedly sent all of hers into Gaza strip) and Iraq has
only about 4,000, figure of 800,000 constitutes about one-tenth popu-
lation remaining Arab states. Since they generally more advanced