Discussion with Israeli FM Abba Eban on Vietnam & Foreign Aid
(February 9, 1966)
President Johnson explained the U.S. position
vis a vis Vietnam. He explained that if the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam
than Israel would see the U.S. as giving up on smaller countries, an
assessment which Foreign Minister Eban agreed with. Israel emphasized that it would not need American aid if
not for the security situation -- created primarily by Soviet arms --
and that American aid could help prevent a Vietnam-like situation in
Israel. Israel emphasized to the U.S. that it needed American aircraft,
and discussed American aid and financing the nuclear desalting plant.
The U.S. emphasized that it did not want Israel to quiet domestic criticism
on U.S.-Israel policy and, instead, only utilize official channels.
Memorandum for the Record/1/
Washington, February 9, 1966.
SUBJECT
President's Talk with Israeli Foreign Minister Eban
PRESENT
The President
Foreign Minister Eban
Ambassador Harman
Mr. Komer
The President warmly congratulated Eban on his assumption of the Foreign
Ministry. He recalled their friendly association when Eban was Ambassador
in Washington, and looked forward to a close future relationship.
The President then discussed at length our current
position on Vietnam in the light of the Honolulu meeting. He made clear
that in helping the GVN we were showing how we would live up to our
commitments to small countries as well as large. Israel would rightly
be the first to be frightened if the U.S. were to "cut and run
in Vietnam."
Eban strongly agreed, saying that small states like Israel had an obligation
to stay strong and stable enough that they would not become Vietnams,
and thus create special problems for the United States. He went on to
say that if it were not for Israel's security problem--created primarily
by Soviet arms--Israel would no longer need U.S. aid.
Because of its special situation, however, Israel still hoped it could
rely on the United States. Eban then raised Israel's current concerns
over aircraft, 1966 economic and food assistance, and the desalting
matter. He hoped that some of these matters would come to a head soon.
He emphasized that Israel would still place the bulk of its arms orders
in Europe. But sometimes it had needs which the Europeans could not
meet, as in the case of intruder-type aircraft. Israel needed about
45 of these. In asking for them, Israel was not "changing gears"
and trying to make the U.S. its chief arms or plane supplier.
On economic aid, Eban cited Israel's pride in its
economic progress; it only needed aid because of its security burden.
He noted that all this aid was on a loan basis. As to desalting, Eban
reminded the President of the latter's own great interest in the matter.
However, all that Israel was suggesting for the moment was the procedural
step of appointing one high-level official from each Government to look
at the tricky financial problems of how to finance the nuclear desalting
plant.
The President assured Eban that we would try to evolve something satisfactory
on these scores. He wanted to do everything he reasonably could for
Israel. In fact we didn't even want to subsidize Jordan, except that
this helped Israel. We had no desire to be arms salesman to Israel either,
but he didn't want the Israelis to feel insecure. It might be that a
balance of arms was after all the best way to avoid unrest in the area.
We would also look at economic aid. The President added that he was
as anxious as the Israelis on the desalting matter. However, he had
been up to his ears on Vietnam and with the new Congress. He would try,
nonetheless, to come up with specifics shortly.
The President concluded by telling Eban that he looked forward to very
close relations with him personally, and with Israel. He wanted to do
everything he could, consistent with our national interest. "Let's
deal frankly and freely with each other on top of the table" and
keep from batting issues around in the newspapers. He added that we
always seemed to have a problem with well-meaning friends of Israel
who attempted to help our relations along. He asked Eban to tell them
"to stop coming in the back door, or writing, or sending telegrams,
or talking to the newspapers." We and the Israeli Government together
could handle these matters. The President said he had great confidence
in Prime Minister Eshkol and saw nothing that was going to disturb our
relations.
Eban replied that his Prime Minister had had complete trust in the
President ever since their meeting in June 1964; he heartily reciprocated
the President's sentiments. The President then took the Foreign Minister
out to be photographed by the press.
RWK
/1/Source: Johnson Library, National Security File,
Country File, Israel, Vol. V. Secret. According to the President's Daily
Diary, the meeting took place from 11:15 to 11:35 a.m. at the White
House. Evron was also present. (Ibid.)
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, V. 18, Arab-Israeli
Dispute 1964-1967. DC: GPO,
2000. |