235. Memorandum of Conversation1
PARTICIPANTS
-
U.S. SIDE
- The President
- Secretary Vance
- Zbigniew Brzezinski
-
ISRAELI SIDE
- Prime Minister Begin
- Foreign Minister Dayan
The President: opened by informing Begin that he understood that the announcement of the return of El Arish in two months instead of the originally proposed three months will be made by him in Cairo as a surprise gesture to the Egyptians.
Begin: I agree but then my friends will say I have misled them, and therefore it is better to announce it now.
The President: Sadat agreed to return of the oil sector in seven months in return for uninterrupted flow to Israel. Is that right?
Begin: That is correct. On exchange of visits, I proposed that I return the visit to Cairo, but not on April 1—that is April Fool’s day.
(Throughout these exchanges Begin smiled, was very friendly and obviously pleased with himself.)
The President: I got you the Gulf of Eilat formula. Now we have to resolve the reference to Samaria and Judea in the joint letter.
Begin: I can’t change one word. I will have to resign. I have had Knesset approval.2
[Page 806]Vance: An attachment would be sufficient.
Begin: No, it must be an integral part of the joint letter. I am willing to write a footnote in my own handwriting underneath my signature.
Brzezinski: proposed in that case maybe Sadat should write in a footnote in his own handwriting disagreeing with Begin.
The President: proposed that he himself write in the footnote as a compromise.
Begin and Dayan accept.
The President then cites some gestures that Sadat will make for Begin when Begin visits Cairo—Synagogue, scholars, Jewish community.
Begin seems genuinely touched.
Begin then asked the President to intercede with Brezhnev to agree to direct flights from the Soviet Union to Israel.
Begin then asks that the $800 million grant—$2.2 billion loan ratio be changed to 50–50 as a personal gift to his wife. He really stresses the personal gift idea.
The President laughs but says he cannot grant this. I cannot give you any encouragement.
Begin responds by saying that we hope you will consider it. At least you are not discouraging me.
The President repeats that he cannot offer any encouragement. The President then says he wishes to raise a couple of sensitive issues. Sadat is a man of impulse and generosity. You, Mr. Begin, are also a man of great generosity and bravery (the idea of bravery is then embellished). I want you to be sensitive to the fact that settlements pose a key problem for the future. I hope that your statements and actions will recognize the importance and sensitivity of this issue. The second matter involves Jerusalem. I understand your position, but if in your public statements you could refer to the role of the three great religions, if you could use or quote somehow from the Koran, and with your erudition you could find some appropriate words, it would really be helpful.
Begin responds by saying that as far as Jerusalem is concerned there are some self-evident truths which he need not reiterate all the time (that it is the capital of Israel, etc., etc.), and then reiterates his usual line on the settlements.
Dayan adds that it is a matter of proportion—what we do and how we do it.
The rest of the discussion involves the signing ceremony and mutual expressions of admiration and recognition.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Outside the System File, Box 66, Middle East: President Carter’s Trip to Jerusalem and Cairo: 2–4/79. Secret. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting took place in the Oval Office. (Carter Library, Presidential Materials)↩
- By a final vote of 95–18, (with 2 abstentions and 3 members not participating), the Knesset approved the treaty on March 22. (Israel’s Foreign Relations, Selected Documents, 1977–1979, p. 685)↩