256. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)1

K: Hello.

D: Hello, Henry.

K: Anatol, the madmen in the Middle East seem to be at it again. We got a message this time on the East Bank. The West Bank is quiet now. We just had a message [from] the Israelis2 claim[ing] they’re being attacked. The Egyptians don’t say who’s doing the attacking. I want you to know what we have done. We’ve sent first a message to the Israelis telling them it had to stop and we had their assurance that they’re [Page 708] staying in defensive positions.3 We sent a message to the Egyptians of which I’ll send you a copy,4 telling them that we will totally oppose any further military offensive military actions by the Israelis and recommending that they, too, stop offensive actions. And that is our impressions which we have no independent proof, that this time the Egyptians may have started it but we are not sure. We have no real basis for judgment. I just want you to know what we are doing. And I’m sending you the message we sent to the Egyptians but we have made a very violent representation to the Israelis.

D: Alright.

K: But one thing that Moscow is to understand we are not playing any games here. We made an agreement and it’s now going to be enforced.

D: This is the point.

K: Well, you have our assurance.

D: I will send a telegram to Moscow.

K: I’ll send you the message to send out immediately.

D: O.K. Thank you very much. Bye. Bye.

K: Bye.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Transcripts (Telcons), Chronological File, Anatoli[y] Dobrynin File, Box 28. No classification marking.
  2. Kissinger is apparently referring to Document 254.
  3. Kissinger is apparently referring to Document 255.
  4. A copy of Nixon’s message to Sadat (Document 252) was delivered to Ambassador DinitzDinitz at 10 a.m. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 70, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Exchange of Notes Between Dobrynin and Kissinger, Vol. 8)