Feinberg II

Second, Johnson argued that U.S. aid to Jordan was in Israel’s self-interest.

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President Johnson: My judgment is—and it’s [Dean] Rusk’s judgment (and I don’t believe it’s an emotional judgment, but I believe it’s a friendly judgment)—that this little king [Hussein] has some value to us, and that we ought to keep him as far away from the Soviet and Nasser that we can.

The Israelis, though, don’t think so. Well, if they don’t, we’ll just pull out. We won’t sell him a damn thing.

But we want it to be clear it’s their decision. And we want it to be clear that we’re doing it so that we can satisfy the Jews, and not irritate them . . .

President Johnson: Just say, “Now, Mr. Prime Minister, we want to accommodate you. Which route do you want? Do you want us out of here or do you want us in?”

Feinberg: Yeah.

President Johnson [continuing] “And we’re going to let you write the decision, but we want your name signed in it, and we want your people signed in it, and we don’t want it laid on to a man from Johnson City.”