December 5, 1973
Memorandum on the Reactions of the Americans to the Suggestions relayed on behalf of Yasser Arafat (Conveyed by the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Reception given in the Evening of December 5, 1973)
This document was made possible with support from Bilkent University
Top Secret of Special Importance
Memorandum
on the reactions of the Americans to the suggestions relayed on behalf of Yasser Arafat
(conveyed by the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the reception given in the evening of December 5, 1973)
1. From the United States’ point of view, the issue of Palestinian participation in the Geneva Conference is an open question, which will be concretely addressed as soon as the Conference’s workings effectively start.
2. The United States does not exclude at all the possibility of the creation of a Palestinian independent state entity. [The US] believes, however, that this matter must be addressed with caution, and the discussions on this issue must be carried out in total secrecy.
Territory-wise, the United States would like to know, above all, whether Israeli territory (within the June 1967 borders) is affected, and what [the Palestinians] have in mind regarding Jordan.
3. The United States is also taking into account the possibility of holding direct contacts with the Palestinian movement to discuss the aforementioned issues, as well as other matters that may come up.
In this respect, and in order to make progress on this question, it is absolutely necessary, as an indispensable condition, to stop all terrorist acts carried out by the Palestinian movement against American representatives and citizens.
December 11, 1973
A memorandum reporting on the American feelings toward Palestine and the territorial lines for Israel and Jordan.
Associated Topics
Document Information
Source
Original Archive
Rights
The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.
To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at HAPP@wilsoncenter.org.