Extract from a Memorandum by Eoin MacWhite
'Question of de jure recognition of the State of Israel'

[matter omitted]

10. In April, 1952, the Israeli Ambassador in Washington approached Mr. Hearne on the question of de jure recognition by Ireland, saying (erroneously) that ours was the only State in the Western Hemisphere that had not given such recognition.

    We consulted Mr. Walshe during his visit to Dublin in June, 1952, as to whether there was any likelihood of a change in the attitude of the Vatican. Mr. Walshe thought not, at any rate during the lifetime of the present Pope. He advised against de jure recognition by Ireland unless and until there is some very compelling reason in favour of that course.

    The Vatican attitude which has not changed since has been re-stated at least twice in the Osservatore Romano in 1954. In a report dated 19 January, 1955,¹ Mr. Cremin stated that the Holy See ‘stand absolutely by the view that Jerusalem should be under international control.’ Msgr. Tardini, in the course of a conversation with Mr. Cremin, said that the attitude of the Holy See towards the Jerusalem issue had not weakened but indeed rather hardened.

11. In January, 1953, the Israel Ambassador to London² paid a visit to Ireland and during the course of his stay paid visits to the President, the Taoiseach, and the then Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Aiken. The question of opening direct relations between Ireland and Israel was not brought up officially during his visit as our attitude had been made quite clear to Mr. Elath by Mr. Boland beforehand.
12. There were no further developments until the 9 March, 1956,³ when the Israeli Ambassador in Washington called on Mr. Hearne submitting formally a request from the Government of Israel to exchange diplomatic representatives. In the course of this démarche the Israeli Ambassador stated that his Government ‘now favours international supervision of the Holy Places.’ This is, of course, only a re-iteration of the established Israeli line referred to in paragraph 4.