Memorandum on Johnson Plan and Forthcoming General Assembly Debate
(November 12, 1962)
This is a memorandum from Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy
analyzing the current situation and planned action regarding the Johnson
Plan and the forthcoming UN
General Assembly debate.
Since other items on the United Nations Special Political Committee
agenda have been disposed of more quickly than expected, we have at
most only a week or ten days before debate commences on the future of
UNRWA. This will inevitably include discussion of broader aspects of
the refugee problem, particularly the actions (Johnson mission) taken
by the Palestine Conciliation Commission in response to the specific
directives of the last three Assemblies.
Following a middle ground tactical approach generally similar to that
employed successfully last year, we wish to use this forthcoming debate
to advance the extremely valuable work which has been done. The first
task will be to use our influence with Israel to move its position away
from its private (but incipient public) opposition and into parallel
with the objection-but-no-rejection stance of the Arabs. In exchange
for this shift, we would agree that the general elements of the Johnson
approach should from now on be carried forward by the PCC rather than
continue with the Johnson label. This metamorphosis should help Israel
off the horns of the dilemma on which it finds itself by virtue of the
opposition it has generated to the Johnson Plan per se. It will also
help deal with Arab objections.
The enclosed "Analysis of Current Situation and Proposed Actions"
describes the present state of play and our planned actions designed
to utilize the coming debate to greatest advantage.
Dean Rusk
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1961-1963: Near East, 1962-1963,
V. XVIII. DC: GPO,
2000. |