Summary
US Secretary of State whose February 1956 Senate statement and June 1953 Middle East tour speech mark, in Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, the exposure of Israel’s failed American orientation: the USA never seriously considered a military alliance with Israel, and, secure of Israel’s support, devoted its efforts to acquiring the friendship of the Arab states (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.134, p.147-148).
Details
- In a State Department official’s 1953 account, the 1947 Jewish Agency memorandum offering integration into a US regional framework had been submitted to Secretary of State Dean Acheson; Dulles’s own role begins with his spring 1953 Middle East visit, which a senior official briefed Haaretz’s Gelblum about (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.111).
- Dulles announced to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the end of February 1956: “The USA never seriously considered a military alliance with Israel, despite the negotiations on that subject”; providing arms to Israel would make a solution more remote, and “If Israel attacks the Arab states, it cannot count on the help of the United States” (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.134).
- After difficulties convincing the Arab states to join the Middle East Command, Dulles toured the region in May 1953 and, on 2/6/53, delivered a televised speech: the Command plan had failed against Arab opposition, the USA should appease the Arabs, he supported internationalization of Jerusalem and the return of 800,000 refugees to Israel, referred to the Negev as “territories with sentimental value that are held by Israel”, and said Israel’s leaders agreed US policy should be impartial (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.147).
- Le Monde (21/10/53), as quoted: in his secure knowledge of Israel’s support Dulles decided to minimize American aid to Israel — “a hooked fish needs no bait!” — and dedicate all efforts to acquiring the friendship of the Arab states, a policy the State Department favoured especially as the USSR-Israel break had cost Israel its balancing advantages (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.147-148).
- The speech drew angry Knesset replies — Kesse: “The smell of oil wafts from Dulles’ speech!” — while Sharett reaffirmed friendship with the USA as “one of the foundation stones of Israeli policy” (16/6/53) (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.148).
- Implementation of the government’s “activism” line began shortly after Dulles’s visit to the Middle East and continued, with one pause, until Operation Sinai (Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, PDF p.156).
Related pages
Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace, United States, Moshe Sharett, Non-alignment