154. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford1
Secretary Kissinger has asked that I provide you with the following report concerning the outcome of the Israeli Government’s deliberations:
“The Israeli Government has just completed its deliberations, and we have been given the results by Rabin and his colleagues.2 There [Page 551] were some modest modifications from the position that was conveyed to us this morning,3 which essentially does not change the situation in any substantial way.
“I am now leaving for Aswan to meet later this evening with Sadat. The odds are very much against Sadat accepting what I am bringing with me, and since I feel it is inadequate, I will present the Israeli position without encouraging acceptance on the part of Sadat. I do not, of course, absolutely preclude that Sadat will decide that there is enough in it to continue the negotiations but I think this is unlikely. I will report to you later this evening after I complete my talks with Sadat.”
- Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East, Box 4, March 7–March 22, 1975, Volume II (7), Kissinger’s Trip. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Ford initialed the memorandum.↩
- A memorandum of conversation of the meeting between the Israeli negotiating team and Kissinger, which took place on March 20 from 5:30 until 6:45 p.m. at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, is ibid., Volume II (6), Kissinger’s Trip.↩
- A memorandum of conversation of the meeting between the Israeli negotiating team and Kissinger, which took place on March 20 from 9:50 a.m. until 12:35 p.m. at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, is ibid.↩