Telegram on Use of "Palestine" in U.S. Passports
and at Jerusalem Consulate
(March 14, 1964)
Telegram From the Department
of State to the Embassy in Israel/1/
Washington, March 14, 1964,
10:48 a.m.
793. Israel Embassy has been informed of
Department's approval of following:
1. We accept Israel Embassy's proposal regarding
Munn's passport (Deptel 774 to Tel Aviv)/2/ as most expedient way to resolve issue, i.e.,
proposal that we issue Munn second passport
without designation Palestine which Israel
Embassy will visa and return to Dept for disposition.
GOI would then issue border-crossing permit
against Israel Embassy visa number, but Munn
would retain his present passport.
2. We will cease using "Palestine"
in passports as place of assignment and cease
issuing, renewing, or amending passports with
seal bearing word "Palestine".
3. If there are no adverse repercussions
from foregoing, we will change listing of
Jerusalem Consulate General in Foreign Service
List so that it would be listed under Jerusalem
rather than Palestine.
Dept stressed that if there is any publicity
over steps 1 and 2, it would be difficult
for us to carry out additional steps now contemplated
to accommodate Israelis on this issue./3/ Israel Emboff Gazit said he would immediately
refer proposal to GOI. He again asked about
plaque over front door of Congen office in
Israel-held Jerusalem. Is our understanding
correct that plaque does not contain word
"Palestine"?/4/
[Dean] Rusk
Notes
/1/Source: National Archives
and Records Administration, RG 59, Central
Files 1964-66, POL 32-1 PAL. Confidential;
Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Lucien L. Kinsolving;
cleared by Davis, Jernegan, Stephen Campbell
of IO/UNP, and Harriman's Special Assistant
Frederick Chapin; and approved by Harriman.
Also sent to Jerusalem and repeated to Amman.
/2/Telegram 774 to Tel Aviv,
March 5, summarized an informal conversation
between Davies and Israeli Minister Gazit
concerning Israel's efforts to obtain U.S.
agreement to drop the use of "Jerusalem,
Palestine" in passports issued or renewed
in Jerusalem and issued to officers stationed
in Jerusalem. Davies strongly protested Israel's
refusal to honor Consul Robert H. Munn's passport,
which contained this usage. (Ibid.) A chronology
of discussions on this subject, dating back
to February 1963, is attached to A-104 from
Jerusalem, March 30. (Ibid.)
/3/Telegram 812 to Tel Aviv,
March 19, stated that the Department was preparing
an order for new seals for the Consulate General,
all bearing the designation "Jerusalem"
without the word "Palestine." It
instructed the Consulate General to begin
using the new seals as soon as they arrived
and at the same time to cease using the word
"Palestine" on letterheads and in
correspondence. (Ibid.)
/4/Telegram 316 from Jerusalem,
March 15, replied that the word "Palestine"
did not appear on any Consulate building.
(Ibid.)
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, V. 18, Arab-Israeli
Dispute 1964-1967. DC: GPO,
2000. |