Memo: Middle East Agreement

• PRINT

The following memo to President Carter describes the relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and advises Carter in his negotiations with Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt. In 1978, Carter invited the two leaders to Camp David, the American president's retreat. The talks there led to a 1979 treaty between the former enemies.

The White House

Washington, DC

September 19, 1978

Memorandum for the President

From: Stu Eizenstat

Subject: Middle East Agreement

Please permit me to make the following suggestions regarding the solidification of your Middle East triumph:

1. Talk with both Sadat and Begin — particularly Begin  — as soon as possible while they are in this country and urge them to recognize the political sensitivity of the other party's position and to give as flexible an interpretation to the agreement as possible. At the Vice President's reception last night for Jewish leaders, a number conveyed to me their concerns that Begin will both "crow" about what he has obtained and give the strictest interpretation possible, as evidenced by his interview with Barbara Walters. They urge that you tell Begin that he must be sensitive to Sadat's problems and attempt to help, not hinder, Sadat's selling of this accord.

2. To reinforce this statement to Begin, I think that a number of Jewish Congressmen and Senators would be willing to convey the same message. Frank and/or the Vice President might help accomplish this.

3. Perhaps most important, since the success of these accords will depend heavily on the Saudi reaction, I suggest that the Vice President and/or Frank very quietly get a group of moderate senators who supported the Saudi arms sale to visit the Saudi Ambassador. They might state that they had supported the arms sale despite the political objections here because they knew Saudi Arabia would be a strong friend of the United States and peace in the Middle East. They might also say that now is a critical time for Saudi Arabia to show moderation and support for Sadat. They might leave the clear message that Saudi Arabia cannot expect future support in the United States Senate if it "blows" the Sadat/Begin agreement. I think this is of critical importance.

cc: The Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Hamilton Jordan, Frank Moore

Tourism in the Holy Land
Find out the top sacred sites in Jerusalem for all major religions.

American in Israel
Sixteen year old Ezra Billinkoff describes his travels and studies in Israel.

Middle East: History
This encyclopedia article looks back at the history of the Middle East from early history, through the Greeks and Romans through the recent peace talks in 2000.

ONLINE ACTIVITY	Global Trek: Virtual Travel Around the World This amazing interactive site lets you plan world travel (a la Expedia or Orbitz), but with an educational twist! Choose a destination--from...
BOOK INFORMATION	Donkey Trouble Setting his characters against a stunning expanse of desert and sky, Caldecott Medalist Ed Young retells a time-honored Arabian story about a boy and his grandfather who are trying to take their donkey to market. Their trip is long and many passersby offer conflicting advice along the way. In the end the pair discovers that they are left with the knowledge that they must follow their own hearts in order to prosper.