This is a memorandum of conversation between William Crawford Jr. and Mr. Shaul Bar-Haim from the Israeli Embassy meeting and discussing the U.S. position on the status of Jerusalem.
PARTICIPANTS:
Mr. Shaul Bar-Haim, Counselor, Israel Embassy
NE--William R. Crawford, Jr.
UNP--Stephen J. Campbell
Mr. Crawford recalled a conversation between Assistant Secretary Talbot
and Ambassador Harman on July 17, 1962,/2/ in which Mr. Talbot had said
we would no longer take the initiative in presenting our views on the
status of Jerusalem to governments contemplating the initial establishment
of a diplomatic mission in Israel. In describing the limits of this
concession, Mr. Talbot said we would not acquiesce in Israel insistence
on issuance of visas or consular exequaturs that would inhibit the freedom
of movement of U.S. Consular Officers within the corpus separatum, or
in other Israel moves which we would view as eroding our stand in principle
on the status of Jerusalem.
Mr. Crawford further recalled that the Israel Embassy had subsequently
taken strong exception to our reference to the corpus separatum, in
conversations between Mr. Strong and Minister Gazit on July 20 and 30,
respectively. These exchanges led the Israel Embassy, in a conversation
between Mr. Bar-Haim and Mr. Crawford on August 6, 1962 to seek our
approval of its own recapitulated formulation of the U.S. position.
We reserved our reply, saying we would like to refer the Israel formulation
to officers in the Department with long experience on this problem.
Mr. Crawford said this study has now been completed, and our comments
on the Israeli formulation are evidenced in the following revision of
it:
1. The Government of Israel may take as its guidance in interpreting
the United States position on Jerusalem the U.S. Aide-Mémoire
of July 9, 1952, and Secretary Dulles' speeches of June 1, 1953, and
August 26, 1955, of which Israel is fully informed.
2. In the United Nations resolution of partition of Palestine, Resolution
181(II) and in the Swedish-Dutch draft resolution subsequently considered
by the General Assembly, various solutions to protect the interests
of the U.N. in Jerusalem were laid down, but in both Resolution 181
and Swedish-Dutch draft, the geographic area of Jerusalem was the same;
i.e., as defined in Resolution 181. The attitude of the Department is
that, while the United States Government is of an open mind as to the
type of arrangements which might be made for the area to satisfy the
international community's interest in it, the geographic boundaries
of this area are as set forth in Resolution 181. The U.S. believes that
whatever arrangement is made should have the concurrence of Israel and
Jordan, and the necessary majority of the Members of the United Nations.
(Mr. Talbot's use of the term corpus separatum on July 17 was in reference
only to this geographic definition.)
3. This basic U.S. view concerning the geographic definition of the
area describes also the area of jurisdiction of the United States Consulate
General in Jerusalem.
Mr. Crawford stressed that the basic U.S. position is as stated in
Paragraph 1. Paragraph 2 should be regarded as "informal comment
and current amplification". As regards Paragraph 3, we have not
dissented from the Israeli formulation provided Israel recognizes that
the term corpus separatum does in fact describe the area of jurisdiction
of the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem. As footnote to Paragraph
3, we would point out that the Consulate General's area of jurisdiction
includes areas in Jordan which are over and above the area defined by
Resolution 181.
Mr. Crawford said Israel would note that the foregoing involved no
change in the long-standing U.S. position on Jerusalem. It is somewhat
our feeling that Israel made a mountain out of a molehill in contesting
Mr. Talbot's use of the term corpus separatum. We saw no advantage in
reopening discussion of the U.S. position, but felt we should not avoid
comment when the Israel Embassy sought to formulate our position for
us.
Mr. Bar-Haim said he hopes this U.S. commentary will put an end to
the exchange.
Mr. Bar-Haim said he wished to raise a question earlier discussed by
Mr. Gazit with Mr. Strong: the use of the term "Jerusalem, Palestine"
in the passports of U.S. officials in Jerusalem. Israel wishes the U.S.
would drop this practice. The use of the term "Palestine"
is historical fiction; it encourages the Palestine entity concept; its
"revived usage enrages" individual Israelis; the Jordanians,
also, would be happier if it were dropped; this is a trivial irritant;
the U.S. position on Jerusalem would in no way be eroded by ceasing
to use this term.
Mr. Crawford replied that, insofar as he could recall, Mr. Strong had
implied to Mr. Gazit that pushing this matter will serve little practical
purpose. If Israel, nevertheless, wishes to press this officially, we
will look into it. By way of preliminary, informal comment:
1. The present practice has caused no problem in the past fourteen
years.
2. It is not a "revival".
3. It is difficult to see how it "enrages" Israel opinion.
4. The practice is consistent with the fact that, in a de jure sense,
Jerusalem was part of Palestine and has not since become part of any
other sovereignty.
5. We would not see this as simply a question of dropping the phrase
"Jerusalem, Palestine" from the passports of those few officers
we have in Jerusalem. What about related questions such as quota nationality,
in regard to which U.S. legislation and regulation continue to employ
the term Palestine?
6. Israel has been informed that we do not approve actions which might
be regarded as watering down our stand in principle regarding Jerusalem.
Israel has termed this "trivial", but we would necessarily
have to judge it against the background of other actions of the past
year, such as Israel's elimination of the Foreign Liaison Office in
Tel Aviv and its request that we cease taking the initiative in representations
to other states regarding the location of their missions in Israel.
7. We question whether the Jordanians would be happier if we drop the
term. They fear the ridicule of other Arab states.
Mr. Bar-Haim said he appreciates Mr. Crawford's informal
comment but hopes this matter can be looked at by the Department