British-Israel Relations: UK Foreign Secretary Visit to Jerusalem Does Not Imply Recognition

UK Foreign Secretary Visit to Jerusalem Does Not Imply Recognition

CONCLUSIONS of a Meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, S.W. 1. on Tuesday, 13th March, 1956, at 11 a.m.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Nutting) said that, since the Cabinet's discussion on 9th March, it had been ascertained that the Foreign Secretary's forthcoming visit to Israel could not follow the pattern set by the United States Secretary of State. Since the latter's visit, the Office of the Israeli Foreign Minister had been transferred from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It therefore seemed inevitable that the Foreign Secretary should call on both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Israel in Jerusalem. He had been advised to issue a public statement thereafter to make it plain that this did not imply recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Government of Israel were being warned that such a statement would be made.

The Cabinet—                     
Took note of this statement by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Sources: British Archives. Catalogue Reference: CAB/128/30