Office of the Historian

257. Backchannel Message From President Nixon to Egyptian President Sadat1

Washington, undated.

We have just been informed by the Israeli Prime Minister that strict instructions have been issued to Israeli armed forces to stay in defensive positions and not to fire unless they are fired upon.

[Page 709]

In response to your proposal for U.S. ground observers,2 the Israeli Government has also agreed to permit U.S. military attachés to proceed immediately to the area of the conflict in order to observe that these orders are being carried out.3

It would be very helpful at this time if you could instruct your own forces accordingly.4

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 132, Country Files, Middle East, Egypt/Ismail, Vol. VII, October 1–31, 1973. Secret; Sensitive. A handwritten note at the top of the page indicates that it was LDXed at 10:17 a.m.↩
  2. See footnote 2, Document 255.↩
  3. See Document 255.↩
  4. A copy of this message was delivered to Dobrynin at 10:40 a.m. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 69, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 20, [October 12–November 21, 1973])↩