Summary
The United States representative at the United Nations whose speech at the General Assembly in March 1957, in Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, demolished the Israeli government’s policy of assumptions and expectations: after John Foster Dulles had approved Golda Meir’s withdrawal speech through four drafts, Lodge told the Assembly the USA did not regard Israel’s declaration as contingent on any conditions, and that its expressions were only hopes and expectations (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.298-299).
Details
- Twenty-four hours before Lodge spoke at the General Assembly, Egyptian Foreign Minister Muhammad Fawzi warned him that if the USA did not force Israel to withdraw unconditionally, Syria’s and Egypt’s relations with the USA would be jeopardised (Al-Ahram, quoted in Davar, 4/3/57) (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.297).
- After Meir read the Dulles-approved text, Lodge rose: “Israel announces that it is carrying out a full and rapid evacuation behind the ceasefire lines, in accordance with the first Resolution of 2/2/57. The USA welcomes this decision… We are not of the view that Israel’s declaration is contingent on any conditions” (Davar, 3/3/57) (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.298).
- David Ben-Gurion wrote about four years later that Lodge’s declaration “diverged at several points from the agreement that had been previously reached” and “caused alarm in the hearts of the audience, not only of the Israeli delegation, but also of our friends in the UN” (Foreword to Shenaton ha-Memshalah 5720 [1959-1960], p.31) (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.299).
- Abba Eban records that Lodge approved Meir’s speech “but as far as Gaza was concerned he added a few sentences that once again undermined the agreement. In his comments he mentioned the ceasefire agreement, and thereby omitted the basis for the prolonged presence of UN forces in the Gaza Strip” (Davar, 29/10/59) (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.299).
- Dulles’ reply to Meir’s March 1957 questions rested on Lodge’s speech: US policy “continues to be that which was declared publicly, especially in the speech of Henry Cabot Lodge at the UN General Assembly on 1/3 and in a letter that the President sent to Ben-Gurion on 2/3” (Davar, 19/3/57) (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.317).
Related pages
Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, Golda Meir, John Foster Dulles, Abba Eban, United Nations Emergency Force, Operation Sinai