1815Z 08 June 1967 transmitted message text from
Secretary of State to American Embassy, Tel Aviv

1. SECRETARY CALLED IN ISRAELI AMBASSADOR HARMAN NOON JUNE 8 SAID
HE HAD JUST SPOKEN WITH PRESIDENT AND WAS INSTRUCTED EXPRESS
IN VERY STRONG TERMS USG DISMAY AT TODAY'S ATTACK ON US NAVAL
VESSEL BY ISRAELI NAVAL UNIT. SAID 4 ARE DEAD, 53 ARE INJURED
AT LATEST REPORT. SHIP BADLY LISTING. REQUESTED HARMAN CONVEY
AT ONCE TO PRIME MINISTER OUR REAL DISMAY AT THIS VERY SERIOUS
MATTER. SAID WE CONSIDER IT AMAZING THAT GOI MOTOR TORPEDO
COMMANDER COULD BE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A U.S. NAVAL VESSEL. WE
WANT GOI TO ISSUE VERY EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS REGARD TO
ISRAELI NAVAL COMMANDERS FOR WE CANNOT ACCEPT ATTACKS ON OUR
VESSELS ON HIGH SEAS.

2. SECRETARY SAID WE APPRECIATE SPEED WITH WHICH GOI INFORMED THIS
ACTION HAD BEEN DONE BY ONE OF ITS CRAFT. THIS SPEED OF NOTIFIC-
ATION IN ITSELF MAY HAVE AVOIDED VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IN MANY
RESPECTS.

3. HARMAN PROMISED INFORM HIS GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY. NOTED HE
HAD NO INFORMATION YET FORM GOI ON THIS OCCURRENCE BUT HAD
LEARNED OF IT WITHIN THE HOUR DURING CALL ON ASSISTANT
SECRETARY BATTLE TO WHOM HE HAD EXPRESSED HIS GREAT SORROW.
RUSK
BT

Message displayed as Document 215 in the Department of State Foreign Relations of the United States, Johnson Administration, 1964-1968, Volume XIX, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1967.

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