RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE ATTORNEY OF THE USSR AFFAIRS IN SYRIA I.A. ISAGULOVA WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE POLITICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA OF SYRIA I. ISTUANI

Stalin, Soviets and Israeli Question

RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE ATTORNEY OF THE USSR AFFAIRS IN SYRIA I.A. ISAGULOVA WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE POLITICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA OF SYRIA I. ISTUANI

October 4, 1948

Secret

As it was agreed at a reception at the French envoy, Ibrahim Istuani, director of the political department of the Syrian Foreign Ministry, arrived at our mission today. The initiative for the meeting came from the latter, who repeatedly expressed a desire to pay me a visit, but each time postponed it because of "excessive work,".

From what Istuani said during the conversation with him, the following deserves attention:

1. The trip of Syrian Foreign Minister Mohsen Barazi to Cairo is caused by the position of the Transjordanian King Abdullah towards the Palestinian government. Barazi will consult with the Egyptian prime minister on this matter and will probably take advantage of Iraqi Prime Minister Pachachi's stay in Cairo to find out the point of view of their governments on this issue. Istuani allegedly does not have detailed information about the results of these negotiations, however, he said, it is known that Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq support Syria's point of view towards the Palestinian government.

In this regard, Istuani, as in previous meetings with me, again spread about the position of the great powers and, in particular, the Soviet Union on the Palestinian issue, and in his reasoning came to the conclusion that to hope for the United States or the Soviet Union for a favorable solution the Palestinian question no longer exists and there remains only a small hope on the part of the British. However, he declined to answer what he had in mind.

Note. Syrian Foreign Minister Mohsen Barazi September 26 left for Cairo, and expect his return only today.

Istuani's message that this trip by Barazi was caused by the position of the Transjordanian king towards the newly formed Palestinian government is true. Syria, like no other Arab country, is interested in preserving the integrity of Palestine, since its division and Bernadotte's project on the annexation of the Arab part of Palestine to Transjordan is viewed by it as an immediate threat to the existence of republican Syria. Therefore, it is making every effort to convince Cairo and Baghdad of the danger of the position of the Transjordanian king and to prevent the implementation of such a project of partition of Palestine, which could strengthen Transjordan.

According to official statements, Barazi's mission to Cairo was crowned with success. However, the fact that not a single Arab country, including Syria, has so far officially recognized the Palestinian government indicates that the British are seriously hindering this.

2. Turning to the question of how thorough the reports of a number of Syrian newspapers are about the steps taken by certain circles to create the Eastern Bloc, Istuani - without denying that such negotiations are being held between representatives of the countries of the Middle East - said that Syria voluntarily will not agree to participate in any bloc unless force is used. At the same time, he made a reservation that he does not mean the action of the armed force, but any other possible pressure that may be exerted on Syria.

Note. In recent days, almost all Syrian newspapers have reported new Anglo-American maneuvers to form the Mediterranean or Eastern Bloc. At the same time, they refer to the talks allegedly currently underway in Paris between representatives of the Middle East with representatives of Greece and Turkey on the initiative of the latter.

According to our information, the Anglo-Saxons offered the Arab countries to accept the terms of "aid," according to the Marshall plan, if these countries agree to conclude a regional alliance providing for the conditions of joint defense, the unification of weapons and close political and economic cooperation of the countries of this alliance, but that in particular Egypt, Syria and Lebanon have so far refrained from discussing these proposals.

Characteristic in Istuani's statement in this regard is that he no longer denies, as before, the possibility of such an alliance of Arab countries and Syria's participation in it, but only tries to justify Syria's entry into such an alliance by "action of force."

Charge d'Affaires of the IA. Isagulov

WUA RF. F. 0128. Op. 11.P.8.D. 5.L. 117-119.