Telegram Permitting Ambassador to Attend Knesset Inauguration
(August 22, 1966)
This telegram permits the U.S. Ambassador to Israel to accept an invitation to the opening of the new Knesset (Israeli parliament) building in the western-section Jerusalem . The U.S. Government requests that this invitation not be spotlighted
and reiterates its policy that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel
and it should be an internationalized city.
Circular Telegram From the Department of State to
the Embassy in Israel/1/
Washington, August 22, 1966, 10:53 p.m.
33056. Ref: Depcirtel 2464, June 15./2/
1. Dept authorizes Ambassador Barbour to accept anticipated
formal Israeli Government invitation to attend inauguration ceremonies
new Knesset building Jerusalem August 29-31.
2. We consider this inauguration one-time affair that is not to be
regarded as precedent or pattern for future nor as representing any
change in USG policy on status of Jerusalem. USG continues to support
1948 UN General Assembly resolution that provided for international
status Jerusalem under UN administration, and does not recognize Jerusalem
as de jure capital of Israel. We trust attendance of official Americans
at Knesset opening will not be spotlighted. These points being made
to Israeli Embassy here and should be reiterated by Embassy to GOI at
appropriate time.
3. Department is informing British, Canadian, German, Belgian and Italian
Embassies here since they previously queried us on US position. Embassy
Paris may draw on above at its discretion in speaking to GOF.
Rusk
/1/Source: Department of State, Central
Files, POL 15-2 ISR. Confidential. Drafted by Wolle on August 17; cleared
by Symmes and Hare and in substance by UK Country Director J. Harold
Shullaw, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Spanish Sahara, and Tunisia Country
Director John F. Root, Edward W. Schaefer of AFNE, and Kinsolving; and
approved and initialed by Rusk. Repeated to Algiers, Amman, Baghdad,
Beirut, Bonn, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem, Jidda, Khartoum, Kuwait, London,
Ottawa, Paris, Rabat, Rome, Tripoli, and Tunis and pouched to Taiz.
/2/Circular telegram 2464, June 15,
summarizes a conversation that day between Lebanese Ambassador El Ahdab
and Davies, in which El Ahdab expressed concern over the possible attendance
by Ambassador Barbour at the ceremonial opening of the new Knesset in
Jerusalem. (Ibid.)
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, V. 20, Arab-Israeli Dispute
1967-1968. DC: GPO,
2001. |