Marx-Engels |  Lenin  | Stalin |  Home Page

  Stalin, Soviets and Israeli Question

 

RECORD OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE USSR V.A. ZORINA WITH THE ENTRY OF SYRIA IN THE USSR F. ZEYNEDDIN

September 21, 1948

Secret

Today, September 21, at 14:00. 00 minutes received the envoy of Syria Zeyneddin at his request.

Zeyneddin stated that he came to me on behalf of his government to make a statement on the Palestinian issue. Then Zeyneddin set out his lengthy statement on a previously prepared text, the essence of which boiled down to the following.

1. The position of the Syrian government on the Palestinian issue is well known throughout the world. It opposed the decision of the League of Nations to turn Palestine into a mandated state, it spoke in favor of granting independence to Palestine. However, not all governments shared the views of the Syrian government. The Syrian government, like the governments of other countries in the East, viewed the Jewish question as one of the most vexing issues, as a matter of concern.

The Syrian government followed the development of the Zionist movement, the desire of the Jews to achieve independence. The Syrian government viewed this movement as an obstacle to the spread of imperialism in the east. It has always believed that the Jewish movement will take shape and produce the desired results.

However, in reality, everything turned out to be different.

On the territory of the Jewish state, created as a result of the Zionist movement, a serious crime was committed. A group of people dressed in the same military uniform as the troops of the Jewish state killed the UN representative Count Bernadotte and Colonel Sero1. Despite the fact, Zeyneddin remarked, that you or we can think about the activities of Count Bernadotte, he still managed to achieve a lot in Palestine. He has won respect for himself in many countries. This criminal act must be condemned. I am sure, continued Zeineddin, that the Soviet government shares my government's stated opinion. According to Zeyneddin, the interim government of the State of Israel washes its hands. This crime shows that the government of the State of Israel is unable to cope with the unrest prevailing in the territory of the state.

My government, Zeineddin went on to say, wishes to draw the attention of the government of the Soviet Union to the significance of this fact and its consequences.

2. The Soviet government recognized the State of Israel. Now the question of the admission of the State of Israel to the UN membership may arise. In this regard, two sides of this issue should be pointed out: first, a state that accepts a membership in the UN must be able to fulfill the UN Charter and the obligations of the international order imposed on this state by the Charter; secondly, there is currently no harmony among the UN members. The admission of the State of Israel to the UN can hardly contribute to the creation of such harmony.

3. The Palestinian question is now attracting the attention of the whole world and, naturally, the attention of the UN. But the United Nations currently has a mandated majority. This provision does not and cannot satisfy a number of states interested in a fair resolution of this or that issue.

 

The situation in Palestine, Zeyneddin concluded, is becoming intolerable and requires immediate consideration. The Soviet Union has always stood for peace and security in the world, and I hope that the Soviet government will take into account the stated position of the Syrian government on the Palestinian question when considering the question of Palestine.

After listening to Zeyneddin, I stated that the fact stated in the first part of his statement (about the murder of Bernadotte) had nothing to do with the question of the policy of the Soviet government, which is guided by the interests of its country, the interests of maintaining peace and strengthening cooperation between peoples, and that this fact cannot have influence on the policy of the Soviet government.

I promised Zeyneddin to bring the envoy's statement to the attention of the Minister.

Before leaving, Zeineddin began to say that throughout their struggle for independence, the Syrians have always thought about closer relations with the Soviet Union, that they will always remember that the Soviet Union was the first to recognize the Syrian state, and that the Syrian government wants relations between the Soviet Union and Syria improved. He expressed regret that the Palestinian question to some extent delayed the development of these relations. He expressed the hope that the Soviet government would show its readiness to establish closer relations.

In response to this, I remarked that the Soviet government always wants to have friendly relations with other countries and the establishment of such relations depends not only on the Soviet government.

The conversation, which lasted 45 minutes, ended there.

 

The conversation was attended by Comrade Slyusarenko. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR V. Zorin

WUA RF. F. 07. Op. 21. P. 4. D. 61. L. 31-33.