RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE Ukrainian SSR D.Z. MANUILSKY WITH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ISRAEL M. SHERTOK

Stalin, Soviets and Israeli Question

RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE Ukrainian SSR D.Z. MANUILSKY WITH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ISRAEL M. SHERTOK

October 22, 1948

Secret

During the conversation, Shertok outlined the position of the Government of the State of Israel on the Palestinian issue, which is on the agenda of the current General Assembly, and Shertok's statements coincided with what he had previously said to Comrade. Malik.

I note only some new points that indicate that Shertok is coordinating his position with representatives of the US Department of State:

1. In response to my comment that after the presidential elections in the United States, the position of the State of Israel may be less favorable for defending the position of the Government of Israel, Shertok said that the elections will not change the attitude of the State Department towards the State of Israel, that the postponement of the discussion of the Palestinian issue, which is supported by the US , is explained by the fact that in the United States there is practically no government now.

2. The government of the State of Israel can already speak on the Palestinian issue - the speech is in Shertok's pocket, but, according to Shertok, about 30 states have not yet determined their position and therefore there is no need to rush to raise the Palestinian issue.

3. Schertok relayed the contents of a conversation he had in Paris with two prominent State Department officials on the Jerusalem issue. The latter suggested to him that the trusteeship of the Trusteeship Council should be established over Old Jerusalem, that the State of Israel should appoint its representative "guardian" over the Jewish part of New Jerusalem, and the Arab State of Palestine appointed its "guardian," over the Arab part of New Jerusalem.

4. Shertok believes that this session of the General Assembly should not define the boundaries of the Jewish State of Israel and that therefore the Government of the State of Israel will have to agree to the establishment of a conciliation commission with limited powers. As for the composition of such a commission, according to Shertok, in addition to the United States, Great Britain and France, Jews are interested in a representative of the USSR or one of the Slavic states, such as Czechoslovakia.

5. According to Shertok, refineries owned by private companies in Haifa with capital invested by the US, France and the UK should remain in the hands of these companies.

6. Shertok gave a positive assessment to the King of Transjordan, Abdullah, stating that the latter is burdened by the intervention of the British and allegedly would like to rely on the Jewish state (ie the United States) in order to get more freedom of maneuver.

7. Shertok also stated that although Bernadotte himself was a man of the British, however, in the last period of his life he tried to act in such a way as to establish contact with both governments, but he had two advisers, whose names Shertok did not name, who kept a strictly English orientation and interfered with Bernadotte takes a mediating position.

D Manuilsky

WUA RF. F. 07. Op. 21c. P. 49.D. 39.L. 89-91.