DECLASSIFIED JFK to zinc 511310 6 15 63 Authority 6 1 557 - 1 $4 TELEGRAM Department of State 8 8 8 I Elcozucr E1 one SECRET Jun 15 I 55 PH '53 TEL AVIV 938 PRIORITY bloc VERBATIM TEXT a 8 EYES ONLY - FOR AMBASSADOR Following letter from President should be conveyed Brit-tin Ben-Gurion Dear Mr Prime Minister thank you for your letter of May 27 concerning American visits to Israel's nuclear facility at Dinono I know your words reflect your most intense personal consideration of a problem that is not easy for you or for your Government as it is not for mine vs welcome your strong reaffirmstion that the Dimons will be devoted exclusively peaceful purposes I also welcome your reoffirn'ltion of Israel willingness to permit periodic visits to Dionne Because of the crucial importance of this problem howevxg I a sure you will agree that such visits should bgffa nature and on a schedule which will more nearly be in accord with international standards thereby resolving all doubts as to the peaceful intent of the Dimonn project As i wrote you on 18 May this COVernment's commitment to and sup-port of Exec could be seriously jeopardized if it should be thought that we - - imble to obtain reliable information on a subject as vital to one 'th mini and THE 6 15 63 dumulloll by or Rm some Kretzmomz Im ir Davies Talbot The Scatter 43% in draft unite House REPRODUCTION FROM TH SECRET PROHIBITED UNLESS OR 13 05-322 DECLASSIFIED I Authority 3 'age 2 of telegram tn Amem'nassy TEL AVIV steam k question of the character of Israel's effort in the nuclear field Therefore I asked our scientists to review the alternative schedules of ts re and you have proposed If Israel's purposes are to be clear to the beyond reasonable doubt I believe that the schedule which would best serve Common purposes would be a visit early this summer another visit in June 1954 thereafter at intervals of six months I am sure that such a schedule should cause you any more difficulty than that which you have proposed It would he ntial and I take it that your letter is in accord with this that our scien- have access to all areas of the Dimonn site and to any related part of the 19x such as fuel fabrication facilities or plutonium separation plant and sufficient time be allotted for a thorough examination Ki ing that you fully appreciate the truly vital significance of this matter he fnture well-being of Israel to the United States and internationally I an our carefully considered request will again have your most sympathetic attention Sincerely John F Kennedy In conveying foregoing you should stress that exhaustive examination by the Fcaupetent USG authorities has established scheduling embodied in rresident's e as minimum to achieve a purpose we see as vital to Israel and to our mutual Fc 'n Sciensrfi reasons for this are that only a visit before oriticality filly ntlisL of a reactoru-this is reason for rsounsted early summer 3 hope could be this tenth or next at latest it is widely known 2 -ad by has ledgeable international scientific community that if intended SECRET - Authorily 6 1 56 3 of telegram to Amembassy TEL AVIV I K ECRET for ultimate production of weapons grade plutonium a reactor of this size would be i thth to burn 2 single fuel load approximately every six months whereas for purposes optimum burn-up time would be about two yearB--this in what makes I it essential that after mi alg la visits be schedulad semi-annually END RLSK SECRET 14 mu we 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