231. Letter From Secretary of State Kissinger to Israeli Prime Minister Rabin1
I have the honor to transmit to you the text which follows of a letter to Your Excellency from the President of the United States:
“Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
I am writing you this letter to inform you of the statement I have received of the position of Egypt on the question of the duration of the second Egyptian-Israeli agreement on the Sinai.2 The agreement includes language that the agreement shall ‛remain in force until superseded by a new agreement.’
With respect to the duration of UNEF, I have been informed of Egypt’s undertaking to make every effort to extend the United Nations Emergency Force annually for the duration of the agreement. However, should the Security Council, because of the action of a third state, fail to renew the UNEF mandate to assure continuous operation, I am informed that Egypt undertakes to concert actively with the U.S. to have the General Assembly take appropriate action to bring about annual renewals for at least two renewals after the first annual mandate goes into effect.
In the event such affirmative General Assembly action did not prove possible, I am informed that Egypt will request an augmented UNTSO to continue the supervision responsibilities, and to have the joint Egyptian-Israeli Commission cooperate with it.
This letter is for the United States and should not be passed to another government or publicized.
Sincerely,
Gerald R. Ford
His Excellency
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel.”
The signed original of this letter will be forwarded to you.
Sincerely,
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, Box 15, Miscellaneous, Documents, Telegrams, etc., 1975, Folder 8. Secret.↩
- The Egyptian statement came in the form of a letter from President Sadat to President Ford, September 1. Sadat wrote that Egypt would “make every effort to extend the United Nations Emergency Force annually for the duration of the agreement.” He continued that “should the Security Council, because of the action of a third state, fail to renew the UNEF mandate to assure continuous operation, Egypt undertakes to concert actively with the U.S. to have the General Assembly take appropriate action to bring about annual re[Page 836]newals for at least two renewals after the first annual mandate goes into effect.” Sadat concluded that his letter was “for the United States and should not be passed to another government or publicized. (Ibid.)↩
- The original bears this typed signature.↩