Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXVI, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1974–1976

228. Letter From Secretary of State Kissinger to Israeli Foreign Minister Allon¹

Jerusalem, September 1, 1975.

Dear Mr. Minister:

In connection with the Agreement initialed on September 1, 1975, between the Governments of Egypt and Israel, I hereby convey the following to you:

1. The United States Government has received an assurance from Egypt that it will not use lack of progress at the Geneva Conference as a pretext for not fulfilling its obligations under the Agreement.

2. The United States Government will transmit a letter to Israel conveying Egypt’s undertaking on annual renewals of UNEF’s mandate.

3. The United States Government has received from Egypt an expression of its intention to reduce hostile propaganda in its government controlled media.²

4. The United States Government has received an assurance from Egypt of its willingness to ease the boycott of American companies on a selective basis and that it will not discriminate against any American company that wants to do business in Egypt, regardless of whether this company is on the boycott list.³ The United States will encourage the Government of Egypt to expand the above to include European and other companies.

5. It is the understanding of the United States Government that Egypt intends to avoid active diplomatic efforts to discourage selected other states from resuming diplomatic relations with Israel.

6. The United States Government will seek to ascertain whether Egypt is willing that ships, aircraft, passengers and crews of either Party in distress will be given assistance by the other and will be permitted to continue on their route.

7. The United States informs Israel that Egypt has informed us that it will maintain the assurances, written and oral, undertaken at the time of the Egyptian-Israeli Agreement on Disengagement of Forces in January 1974 in addition to the provisions of the Agreement.

8. The United States informs Israel that Egypt will not interfere with the flights of any civilian Israeli aircraft in the airspace above the Straits of Bab el-Mandeb leading into the Red Sea.

9. With respect to the reference to “para-military forces” in paragraph 3a of the Annex, the United States understanding of the view of the Government of Egypt is that this phrase includes irregular forces as well.

Respectfully,

Henry A. Kissinger⁴

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, Box 15, Miscellaneous, Documents, Telegrams, etc., 1975, Folder 8. Secret.
2. Not found.
3. This assurance was received in the form of a letter from President Sadat to President Ford. Sadat asserted that Egypt would “permit, gradually and on a selective basis, American firms which are ready to carry on significant business or investment in Egypt for the benefit of the Egyptian people, to establish and conduct business activities in Egypt in conformity with the needs of the Egyptian economy and the priorities of our plans for economic development.” Sadat concluded by noting that his letter was intended solely for the U.S. Government and that it should not be shown, leaked, or allowed to leak to any government, organization, or individual. (Ibid.)
4. The original bears this typed signature.