Stalin, Soviets and İsraeli Question - then and now - 10 - Additional Secret Documents
FROM THE LETTER OF THE USSR AMBASSADOR IN LEBANON AND IN SYRIA D.S. MALT TO THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN DEPARTMENT OF THE USSR MFA I.I. BAKULINA
April 8, 1948
Secret
To your No. 183 / BB dated March 3, 1948.
At the same time, I am transmitting to you some materials regarding the two Syrian proposals made at the last regular session of the Arab League, convened in Cairo in February this year, regarding:
1.changing the charter of the Arab League in the direction of prohibiting Arab countries from concluding treaties with foreign powers that could affect the sovereignty and independence of Arab countries, or grant these powers economic and military privileges;
2. the conclusion of a political and military alliance between the Arab countries.
[...] In conclusion, it should be noted that both proposals of Jamil Mardam Bey in their general form are a positive phenomenon for the Arab countries, for they are aimed at harmonizing their common policy, at stopping or at least weakening the differences and disagreements existing between them , to eliminate the differences between them in foreign policy issues and thereby to exclude the possibility of separate enslavement of the Arab countries by any one or more imperialist powers. In addition, the formation of a political and military alliance between Arab countries on an independent basis, of course,
would increase their overall strength and strengthen their resistance to imperialist harassment against Arab countries.
However, the current specific political conditions in the Middle East, the existing treaty relations of the mentioned some of the Arab countries with Great Britain, as well as the venality of the current reactionary politicians in power in all Arab countries, turn these intentions for Great Britain and the United States in their aspirations to organize the Eastern Bloc into a very convenient means of complete subjugation of the Arab countries, which they are more and more taking possession of.
In this regard, the Syrian proposals in their practical implementation will inevitably result in the formation of one of the types of the Eastern Bloc, completely subordinate to the Anglo-Saxons.
Appendix to the text on page 18 .
Messenger D Malt
WUA RF. F. 0106. Op. 7.P. 7.D. 1.L. 20, 26-27.
RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE USSR A.Ya. Vyshinsky with a messenger LEBANON IN THE USSR H. TAKI ED-DINOM
April 13, 1948
Secret
Today at 14 o'clock I received Taki ed-Din at his request. Taki ed-Din began by wanting to state the point of view of the Arabs on the question of Palestine in connection with the fact that the decision adopted by the UN General Assembly on the partition of Palestine was impracticable. Repeating his previous statements about the friendly feelings that the Arabs have for the Soviet Union (in particular, for the Soviet Union's support for Lebanon and Syria in the evacuation of foreign troops from the territory of these states), Taki ed-Din began to argue that the only expedient solution to the Palestinian question there will be the creation of a single Palestinian state in which both Jews and Arabs would enjoy equal rights. He, like other Arabs, believes that the Soviet Union supported the proposal to partition Palestine only because it saw no other way out of the situation in Palestine. He, Taki ed-Din, has always believed in the sympathy with which the Soviet Union treats the Arabs, and therefore he asks that the question of the future regime of Palestine be considered once again by the Soviet Government.
I replied that we understand the position of the Arab countries on the Palestinian issue. The partition decision in itself was not bad, because, thanks to it, it would be possible to eliminate the enmity between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. This plan turned out to be unfulfilled not because it is bad, but because the states that could have implemented this plan did not want to do it. I added that the USSR was accustomed to adhering to the adopted decisions and that we had a negative attitude towards the project of establishing a regime of custody over Palestine. Noticing that I am not specifically dealing with the Palestinian issue, I expressed at the same time confidence that our representative will be able to cope with his task.
The conversation lasted 30 minutes. Comrade Kostylev was present.
A. Vyshinsky
WUA RF. F. 0106. Op. 7.P.7, D. 4.L. 3-4.
LETTER FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF THE USSR IN LEBANON AND IN SYRIA D.S. MALT TO THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN DEPARTMENT OF THE USSR MFA I.I. BAKULINA
April 14, 1948
Secret
In addition to our No. 25 / s dated January 23 of this year, addressed to the deputy. Minister Comrade Zorin V. And I am sending you some materials about the newly launched campaign by the Turks for the creation of the Mediterranean Entente with the inclusion of the Arab countries.
In itself, such a campaign, perhaps, would not be of particular interest, because in recent years, the Turks have not started campaigns of this kind for the first time, which invariably ended in complete failure against the Arab countries, since the latter still do not want to contact Turkey if the Americans would not be behind the Turks together with the British. In this regard, at present, the campaign for the formation of the Mediterranean Entente is of a slightly different nature and proceeds in changed conditions, namely, on the one hand, in the West, the Anglo-Saxons managed to put together the Western bloc, which they intend to expand with the creation of the Mediterranean Entente and then the Eastern bloc, on the other hand, the difficulties created by the Anglo-Saxons in resolving the Palestinian and Egyptian issues may force the current Arab leaders to make concessions to the Anglo-Saxons on the formation of the Mediterranean Entente and the Eastern Bloc at the expense of some compensation for them in the Palestinian and Egyptian issues, although the current Arab leaders are well aware that, among all other hardships, an alliance with Turkey will ultimately lead to the restoration of 400 years of Turkish rule over Arab countries, from which they were freed only in 1918.
The instability of the positions of the Arab countries on the issue of the formation of the Mediterranean Entente in its current development, lack of confidence in their strengths and unwillingness to resist Anglo-American harassment are manifested in the very symptomatic fact that all previous statements by Turkish leaders about the need for Turkish-Arab rapprochement immediately aroused the sharpest objections of the Arab press and very harsh and caustic remarks on the Turkish address, while at present the Arab press in its overwhelming majority refrains from commenting on the Turkish proposals.
Despite this position of the Arab press, there is still no reason to believe that this time the Turkish initiative will be more successful than the previous ones, because the broad Arab masses more and more decisively show that they do not want to climb into the Anglo-Saxon yoke without a fight, and even more so offered by a Turkish servant.
Appendix to the text on page 23.
Messenger D Malt
WUA RF. F. 0106. Op. 7.P. 7.D. 1.L. 45-46.
LETTER FROM COUNSELOR E.R. LEMBERG TO DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE USSR A.Ya. VYSHINSKY
April 15, 1948
Vyborg, Fortress, 37
I ask, if possible, to familiarize yourself with the attached report: the need to send a significant cadre of Jews from the USSR to Palestine.
The report was compiled by me on my own initiative and addressed to the Government in connection with the fact that, as I see it, the political situation in the M East - especially in Palestine - has become so tense and threatening in relation to our country that the USSR, from my point of view, should show particularly active interest in Palestine.
E.G. Lemberg, lawyer, demobilized guards engineer-captain, order bearer
WUA RF. F. 47. Op. 3.P. 11.D. 29.L. 74.
CONCLUSION OF COUNSELOR OF THE USSR MFA B.E. STEIN ON THE REPORT E.R LEMBERG, SENT TO DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE USSR A.Ya. VYSHINSKY
April 22, 1948
By your order, I got acquainted with the report of E. Lemberg “ the need to send a significant cadre of Jews from the USSR to Palestine,”.
This report is a mixture of some correct propositions with completely incorrect and fantastic conclusions.
The correct propositions are, firstly, the statement that, by the combined efforts of Britain and the United States, the Middle Eastern countries are turning into a springboard from which aggression directed against the USSR is being prepared, and, secondly, that the Soviet Union must not only closely monitor the creation of this bridgehead, but also take appropriate action.
This is followed by incorrect and unfounded propositions. The author of the report states that:
1. The integrity of this (Middle Eastern) anti-Soviet foothold is violated by the fact of the existence of Jewish Palestine.
2. Jewish Palestine, deceived by Britain and betrayed by the United States, turns its gaze to the USSR.
3. In the coming clash between the USSR and the anti-Soviet front in the Middle East, Jewish Palestine will not support forces hostile to the USSR.
Even if we recognize as correct the thesis, which has not been proven by the author, that in the event of war, Jewish Palestine will be on the side of the USSR, then in this case its insignificant share in the Middle East (both geographically and economically) is unlikely to be able to violate the integrity of the Middle East bridgehead. Meanwhile, the author's categorical assertion that Jewish Palestine will not join the Middle East bridgehead, hostile to the USSR, is subject to great doubt. The fact that at the moment the leading group (Zionists) of Palestinian Jews "are turning their eyes to the USSR," is caused by purely opportunistic circumstances. By virtue of their class nature, the Zionists will support the United States, not the USSR. The author provides interesting data on the role of the working class in Palestine and its party and professional organizations. However, he himself admits that all these organizations do not play a decisive role, at least at the present time.
Precisely in order to change the balance of forces within Palestine, the author of the report puts forward a fantastic plan for the transfer of 50 thousand Soviet Jews within one year, who, in his opinion, should “be ready to defend the Soviet Union on the Palestinian sector of the front,” and "before the onset of hostilities should play a large role in splitting the imperialist bloc, causing discontent among the peoples of the Middle East with both imperialist invaders and bribed Arab and other political leaders."
It is hardly necessary to prove not only the unreality of this proposal, but also its harmful political consequences for the USSR, if such a proposal were accepted. Such an event could only strengthen the provocative propaganda of the United States that the USSR is sending "communist agitators" to Palestine and is preparing a "revolution in Palestine,"
Due to the above considerations, the proposal of the author of the report to send 50 thousand Jews from the USSR to Palestine cannot be accepted.
B. Stein
WUA RF. F. 47. Op. 3.P. 11.D. 29.L. 75-77.
Translated From Russian; Svitlana M
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