Sharett
yesterday afternoon gave the impression of a man under great emotional strain
who had been subjected to strong pressures from his colleagues during the
morning Cabinet session. His demeanor and his words gave the impression that he
may have been given a last chance within a limited time period to achieve a
settlement with Egypt, failing which military means might be adopted to effect
a transition from an armistice to a peace arrangement between Israel and Egypt.
[- - -]
Sources
available to the Embassy within and without [the Israeli] government point to
the conclusion that Ben-Gurion, supported by the IDF and such Mapai “old guard”
members as Aran and Eshkol, is dominating the formulation of foreign policy.
Their activist propensities may be somewhat strengthened during this election
period by the growing appeal to the younger voters of Achdut Haavoda with its
militant foreign policy program. [- - -]
Finally,
the failure of Sharett to make any reference to [- - -] General Burns[’]
program [for de-escalation of border tensions] may be symptomatic of a general
Israel feeling, particularly within the IDF, that UNTSO is not and will not be
in the future an effective instrument and that real stability on the border can
only be achieved by creating the will among Egyptians as the Israelis say they
have already done in the case of the Jordanians to control effectively the
borders situation. [- - -]
While the
Embassy does not want to be unduly alarmist, its conclusion is that I-E
situation has changed from [a] static to [a] dynamic one and that the
possibilities [of] military operations should not be minimized if Sharett’s new
effort through U[nited] S[tates] G[overnment] and [the UN] security council
does not result [in a] quick and effective improvement [of the] border
situation.
SOURCE: Lawson to USSD, April 5, 1955, FRUS 1955-1957, XIV, doc.66. In
Washington, Eban echoed Sharett’s concerns and requests in a meeting with
George Allen at the State Department, following which Dulles communicated, on
April 6, with the Cairo embassy. Ibid., doc.68.
