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1130Z 15 June 1967 transmitted message text from
U.S. Defense Attache Office, Tel Aviv to
White House and
Office of Secretary of Defense and
Chief of Naval Operations and
Department of State and others

P 151130Z JUNE 67
FM USDAO TEL AVIV
TO WHITE HOUSE
OSD
CNO
DEPT STATE
COMSIXTHFLT
CINCSTRIKE
CINCUSNAVEUR
JCS
INFO DIA
USUN
CINCEUR/USEUCOM
CTG SIX ZERO PT TWO
USAFE
CINCUSAREUR
CTG SIX ZERO
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L 0892 JUN 67.
REF DAO TEL AVIV 0886 JUNE 67. [131335Z JUN 67]
SUBJECT LIBERTY INCIDENT.
1. COMMODORE SOHOLOMO ERELL, COMMANDER IN CHIEF IDF NAVY, ASKED
ALUSNA TO CALL UPON HIM EARLY EVENING 14 JUNE. COMMODORE
PRESENTED APOLOGIES AND EXPRESSIONS OF REGRET IN REGARD LIBERTY
INCIDENT TO THE U. S. NAVY ON BEHALF OF ISRAELI NAVY AND SAID HE
WAS PREPARING LETTER TO CNO USN. HE SAID INCIDENT WAS GREAT
MISTAKE: THAT IDF NAVY PERSONNEL INVOLVED FELT QUOTE TERRIBLE
UNQUOTE AND THAT THE INCIDENT IN FACT SPOILED ALL FEELING OF
VICTORY FOR IDF NAVY IN RECENT HOSTILITIES.
2. ERELL STATED HE DID NOT WANT TO COMMENT ON ELEMENTS OF
INCIDENT UNTIL THE ISRAELI COURT OF INQUIRY HAD RENDERED
FINDINGS.
WHEN ASKED IF THOSE FINDINGS WOULD BE TRANSMITTED TO THE UNITED
STATES THE COMMODORE SAID HE PRESUMED THEY WOULD BE.
3. AS IN EVERY CASE WHEN ISRAELI OFFICERS MENTIONS THE INCIDENT
COMMODORE ERELL REMARKED ON HOW CLOSE LIBERTY WAS TO SHORE LINE.
ALUSNA REPLIED THAT LIBERTY WAS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS.
4. COMMENT A. COMMODORE ERELL WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY DISCOMFORTED
BY NEED FOR AND FACT OF MEETING WITH ALUSNA WHICH MIGHT BE PART
OF EXPLANATION WHY THERE WAS SO LONG A DELAY BETWEEN EVENT AND
FIRST OFFICIAL IDF NAVY PRESENTATION OF APOLOGIES.
B. THE U. S. AMBASSADOR HAS BEEN INFORMED ON OTHER CHANNELS
THAT ISRAEL COURT OF INQUIRY WILL PROBABLY COMPLETE ITS ACTIONS
ON 16 JUNE.
5. COORDINATED WITH EMBASSY.
GP-3
BT

Message subject lineage: 151615Z JUN 67 USDAO TEL AVIV

Message displayed as Document 289 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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