Plans for Kennedy-Ben Gurion
Meeting
(April 17, 1961)
This editorial note addresses a meeting to be held
between President Kennedy and Prime Minister Ben-Gurion in New York.
On April 17, 1961, Deputy
Special Counsel to the President Myer Feldman
telephoned Secretary Rusk about the proposed
meeting between President Kennedy and Prime
Minister Ben Gurion. According to the memorandum
of conversation, "The Sec returned the call and F said he met with the
Pres this afternoon with a man from NY named Abe Feinberg. The Sec thinks
he knows him. F said he just returned from Israel and met with Ben Gurion
and Meir and they raised with him what the Amb raised with the Sec--that
is the possibility of a meeting between the Pres and BG. The Pres acting
on the Sec's advice was reluctant but Feinberg said they apparently regard
it as extremely urgent. The Pres said he would be in NY on the 27th--he
won't make any announcements of any kind or commitments and assumes no
one will--but if BG happens to be there and he is going to be here at
Feinberg's invitation he will see him the morning of the 28th. The Pres
wanted it checked with the Sec. The Sec said all right under those circumstances.
The problem was the parade. F said no announcement here or by us--they
just happen to be there and meet quietly. F will report to the Pres." (Department
of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone
Conversations)
On April 20, Talbot told Bowles that people in his bureau were upset
over the cumulative effect the visit might have on the Arab world. (Memorandum
of telephone conversation; ibid., Secretary's Staff Meetings: Lot 66
D 147) On April 21, Bowles told Feldman that he had been convinced that
the visit should not take place. Feldman responded, according to notes
of the conversation: "The difficulty in getting out of this now
is that the President has already said okay and plans have been started
in New York. Mr. Ben-Gurion was notified of the President's decision
through unofficial channels." (Ibid.) On April 24, Feldman telephoned
Rusk from the President's office to say that the meeting would take
place in New York on May 30. (Memorandum of telephone conversation;
ibid., Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Conversations) Meyer informed
Harman of the decision on April 24. (Memorandum of conversation; ibid.,
Central Files, 884A.1901/5-1661)
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1961-1963: Near East, 1962-1963,
V. XVIII. DC: GPO,
2000. |