RM q 1 • This document consists of 1 page number - J of 12 copies Series A Jr RMiRFile JV l- '-t v - MAR 121364 MEMORANDUM FOR MR McGEORGE BUNDY THE f HITE BOUSE Subject eaosurance for Has er on Iereelt Nucl ear Acti vitl ea On behalf of President Johnsoa requested Prime Minister £sbkol to permit us to infom President sser that our r ecent inspection of the D tmona reactor confirmed the peaceful ruature of Israel's nuclenr Z development activities Deptel 747 The Prime Minister turned down our -request on grOtnads that given Nasser's 'belligerent 'Public state ments apprehension a• to Israel• s atomic rpotenti l would serve as a v4eterxent to preparations for a military adventure Tel Aviv teleg1 atr s '916 and 919 Embassy cairo however believes lack of reasonable assurance on Israeli nucleaT developments will spur Nasser to develop or acquire matching eophi Gticated weapons and niigbt even cause him to launch a pre-emptive attack on Israel Cairo telegram 2024 19 £ - e rec01m1end approval of the enclosed cele am instructl n s our knbassador to convey a Preaideuttal message to Mr Esbkol urging -recon- sideration of his decision Past eJq erience on the DiUK lUl iasue indicates that persistent g r -aduated residential resaure 1s necessaey to secure Israeli cooperatl on 0 I Jf lf M ✓ Benj amin B Read Sd ' - Enclosures l 2 3 4 i p t l _ J Executive Secretary ' 1 J-f- Draft Telep-am to 'l'el vlv Deptels 747 and 757 Tel Aviv Telegrams 916 and 919 Cairo Telegram 2024 NEA NE ssell rmv 3 11 64 e - tr '1N u - - --7 t' #01 _ l -- • NEA - Mr J NE - Mr Da GROUP 3 Do9ngraded at 12 year i ntervals ' 1 d t fJ - - •_2 S 4€ fs-l t an HI v # # l7t tt f $' not automati call y deel osst f i ed s s Ro J THE WH ITE HOUSE WA S HINGTON March 19 1964 Read From McGeorge Bundy 7 For transmittal a revised letter to Eshkol approve d by the President I _ OUTGOING TELEGRAM ' DRAFTING OFFICE -COPY · SEGBET AmF mbassy TEL AVIV LIMDIS Please convey following measage to Eshkol from President QUOTE March 19 1964 Dear Mr Prime Minister I am distressed to learn from Ambassador Barbour that you feel unable to approve of our reassuring President Nasser about the peaceful character of the Dimona reactor 'We are far frcxa confident that apprehension as to Israel'a atomic potential will as you suggeat help deter Nasser from attacking Israel Quite the contrary we believe that Nasser's fear of- a developing Israeli nuclear power may drive him to a cbaice between accelerating the UAR military build· up or a desperate pre-emptive attack Either of these choices would have the gravest effects on the security of Israel We think it plain that any possible deterrent value that might come from keeping Nasser in the dark is trivial compared to these risks Text received from WH mj J 19 64 NE - Mr Davies M - Gov Harriman FORM 5 • 61 DS- 322 S S - Mr McKesson l fuite House - Mr Bundy REPRODUCTION FROM THIS COPY IS PROHIBITED UNLESS UNCLASSIFIED'' • · - 22A 0 DRAFTING OFFiCE COP OUTGOING TELEGRAM • Tel Aviv SIEUT 2 It ia alao bard to aee bow aaaaer could adver•ely exploit r aaunaca that Israel'• aucle r acti'Viti•• are for peaceful pur• poaea 'We certainly clo not 1 otend to provide hill vith details llor did be • iaua• our reaaauraacea wtaea with the agr-•t of your g0Ye1 rt ve la•t lafonaed hilli al these Uoea lacleed our cloin ao aenad eo •aa Arab-IanaU eeuioea Therefore I hope you will ncoaaider yow decialoa oa tbu aatter on which 1 • aur• JOU will •ar tbat our ultiaate ioterest-- enbaac81N1lt of lanel's aecurity--1• the •• youra Sincerel7 L adon a Johuon UIIQIJOl'E tou abould Mb followi og polnta orall7 to hbkol 1 aaaaer ••re peat OS visits to Diaolla and evaatually will l•m of January visit froa other countrlea larael baa qreecl ve •Y take into our confidence Preferable penait aa give Nasaer lllforaatiOD directly to gain •xi favorable reaulcs 2 Content February 22 11aaaer speech not aev Every Arab politician auat iaveigb apiaat Iarael to aurvi re politically leal- iatic and moderate reaolutiona taken by Arab S 1111111t Conference reflect • • ··- t s -322 OUTGOING TELEGRAM DRAFTING OFFICI COPY Aelebeaay TEL AVIV 1 • aaaaer's poaltioa aore clearly than hia worda 3 Al-Ahraa editoriaU t Baaaaaain BaUral coafidaat of Naaaer • baa publicly voiced UAll recognition that • r agaiut Israel is not poaalbla becauae of 4 US aupport Israel'• aecurity liea in US capability and preparednua to warcl off aggreaaioo Total aecurlty 1• aot poaatble hOINVer ev• US lacks that s nt Tank iaaue unrelated to Raaaer ruaaurance Jewiab Obaerver February 14 carried article entitled ''Diaoaa Report Studies tbat referred to ua top secret report from Aaericao expert• wbo bad atudied the potentialltlea of lerael'• principal nuclear r•ctor at Dilloaa ••• idea ia iaplicit eapecially to ttioae While word viait aot used ••r• alr•dy of our earlier inapectiODt Moreover early in February Iaraeli new-n bare apecifically inquired about US i11terest in D1aoaa aocl ruaorecl viait by us scientific CP-3 t- DD rn SEGRi T 'B T March 14 1964 - 12 00 Noon AMEMBASSY TEL A VIV LIMDIS Please convey following message to Eshkol from President Dear Mr Prime Minister 11 am distressed to learn from Ambassador Barbour that you feel unable to approve of our reassuring President Nasser about the peaceful character of the Dimona reactor We are far from confident that appre- hension as to Israel's atomic potential will as you suggest help deter Nasser from attacking Israel Quite the contrary we believe that Nasser's fear of a developing Israeli nuclear power may drive him to a choice between accelerating the UAR military buildup or a desperate pre-emptive attack Either of these choices would have the gravest effects on the security of Israel We think it plain that any possible deterrent value that might come from keeping Nasser in the dark is trivial compared to these risks 11 It is also hard to see how Nas ser could adversely exploit reassurance that Israel 1 s nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes We certainly do not intend to provide him with details Nor did he misuse our reassurances when with the agreement of your government we last informed him along these lines Indeed our doing so served to ease Arab-Israeli tensions Therefore I hope you will reconsider your decision on this matter on which I am sure you will agree that our ultimate interest--enhancement SECRE'l' SEGRE'F -2- of Israel's security--is the same as yours With warm regards Sincerely Lyndon B Johnson SECRET 11 NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu Read related article Duplicity Deception and Self-Deception Israel the United States and the Dimona Inspections 1964-65 2020-11-03