_ TELIRGRAM OUTGOING N ffl¥t§§Y Foreign Service of the United States of America TEL AYJX SECRET · Charge Ix M #3 #4 POL #5 _ __ __c - i1f t 011 J v z i f -Lc · 8 'c o m-s sE mt S_LJ _ ACTION Secstate WASHDC Control Date •l' i 1205 Mar 22 1965 JPM l 205 POL EX ON II SCI '#7 CHRON #8 DI MONA VISITS Ref Deptel 959 Embtel 1199 A YEDIC11' AHARONC1r carried long feature article March 18 Embassy translation available late 19 by stalwart Ben Qurionist Ben-Porat revealing several new details on visits It speaks of crisis of confidence between Wand Israel during Ben- Gurion•s last two years over Dimna reactor and mentions poll te but firm letter from President Kennedy to Ben-Gurion requesting two regular visits by W scientists each year Article implies Ben-Gurion stoutly resisted this Kennedy request replying to President Kennedy during his meeting 1n New York tbat Israel could not reveal scientific secrets unless its Dimona partner France agreed--wbicb DeGaulle refused to do Only later under Esbkol did GOI give in to visits with French agreement article says Article then describes visits in mid-1964 and January 1965 by three 4-· -- 'CB scientists each time occurring rather hastily over wekends when mst reactor personnel absent Despite satisfaction expressed by these scientists as to SECRET ClossiftcaHon REPRODUCTION FROM THIS con IS PROHIBITED UNWS UNCWSlflED SiD1l1-dlnu • tw11 lo Ill Dtpa1ilt t a• I• dlnolld 0 po n °' l OIINlt b tti dwlf tf ri t lt _ 12 • 1111 d 1 lplGf Troe BY _ 1llt - · it IM 1 1 Mil P111m in - - Ulbd DC I ' OFFICIAL FILE COPY f i · DECLASSIFIED Authorityd 11 592 i ' I ' ' LIKGRAM Foreign Service of the United States of America OUTGOING PAGE 2 SECRET Clusifs allo• Charge Control Date peaceful nature of reactor article continues request for two inspections per year was renewed and Harriman came to Israel recently vith list of precise questions Ben-Porat professes eonsiderable indignation at alleged W discovery of Diuk na through aerial photography in 196o and implications of continuing nuclear espionage 11 · He alleges Israeli public including number of important officials in GOI upset at learning of visits through foreign sources a rter ovn Government kept it secret trom them such visits becoming routine matter he asserts I Danger lies in Grave impression created by chain of recent phenomena including a 'H arriman mission's Unk Jng of arms supplies to Arab diver- sion b transfer of Independence Day parade from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and c revelation that DiDDna holy of' holies has been opened to American inspection under American pressure Nevertheless Ben-Porat concludes perhaps tongue-in-cheek such grave matters should not degenerate into domestic Israeli political issue B In opposition to Ben-Porat Jerusalem correspondent same paper who is believed to be pro-Eshkol reiterated on 19th SECRET Closslfitalion N REPRODUCTION fROM TRIS COPY IS PROHIBITED UNWS UIICWSlflED ''Silllle-a Uras - -a t tllt o a tllent CUI 1ot dhffll t II i uch 11111 prl•lt It lh clas llk tllc ol IICSSO 111tloLof NIY I T 'lll llftff lllt lllill'lal •It ti will Olld - II In lffl'tlttlt •lrlld DC 1 ' OFFICIAL FILE COPY ' • DECLASSIFIED •• Authoritv JQ5'12 V ELEGRAM ' Foreign Service af tbe United States of A• erica OUTGOING PAGE 3 SECRET Control Closssficolto a Charge Date c011111ent made by DAVAR on 18th Embtel 1190 that tw of four visits took place during Ben Qurion term of oft'ice He added Esbkol expected discuss 11Btter in regular Cabinet meeting 21st C Parle correspondent MAARIV Url Dan reported erch 18 French Goverrm nt opposes principle of W visits to Din na This allegation taken up by Liberal-Herut Party organ HABOKER on 22nd Dan also speculated that leak from tBG sources appeared to be accidental and tBG now fears pub11c1 ty 'IIIBi¥ result in Israeli refusal permit i'urtber visits This theme too -was picked up in HABOKER editorial on 22nd with argument advanced that Israel may appear to be lS satell1 te per- mits further visits and such appearance could harm Israeli activ1 ties in aensi tive areas of world such as Africa o No other papers have a a of morning 22nd adverted to visits If subject came up during cabinet meeting 21st that fact has apparently not yet leaked to press Official communique issued press containlld no such reference E COMMENT Ben-Porat article forces us partly revise estimate of situation as of March 19 Embtel 1199 Ben-Gurion and Eshkol sides are now each releasing bits and pieces of information tailored to reflect creditably on themselves and SECRET Clo rssficotion lfPIODUCTION fROM TIUS COPY IS PIOIIIIITBI lltESS ·uNCWSlflBI Sln l -adl Ui 1 tlYl H lo tl t D1DU1Jlont an dlnrta 1 1o _ lo Ill ' elwllbll• 'If 11 'Kllt ntypl111 T 111 9J tlll u lll H H 1111 crill Mil 1111111ft •• • wll r fW IIC T OFFICIAL FILE COPY I' - -- -- DKCLASSIFIED I ---• ' - r-- Authority f Jb59Z f 3 L IBGRAM -----'t '• ·------ -- Foreign Senice of 1 1 United States of America OUTGOING PAGE 4 Charge SECRET Clo ssfi alfon Control Date against opponents BABOKER and MAARIV must be presumed to be outsiders until proven 1111 otherwise They likely sniff good politica J issue and interested in keeping it exposed Lack of' other press articles on matter somewhat tmusual and raises possibility GOI and Ben-Gurionites e ch cautioning their supporters to go slow Possibility cannot be excluded Eshkol-controlled GOI and Ben-Gurionites each aiming at same end--Justification for refusing- e r permission visits hen if' not yet decided GOI •Y possibly come to seek such an end as reaction to further publicity particularly if' it comes to believe tB leak deliberate As of' now however Embassy does not draw that conclusion Evidence accumulated to date shove OOI still probing and still attempting limit public disclosures while simultaneously trying to check any Ben-Gurion l Olitical offensive through leak of key argument that Ben-Gur1 on started whole business GP 3 BARBOUR POL GBI s SCI Iff Webber tt 3 22 65 Coordination DCM e ii a SECRET ii ' Classifiralion IEPRODUtTION ROM THIS COPY IS PROHIBITED UIIWS i 11tLASSlflED b li 1 ll1parf atnt can h dlmted la lltudl IO nlll'latt to 11' t danlt1all111 If Ult -lift wlu-1 blNIII Tn t IIY h«ll 1lllr Ult llldms •II Uw 1 ri1I - •• 11 - - In tmtki a Ml F• IX T • 11 OFFICIAL FILE COPY 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