40. Telegram From Secretary of State Kissinger to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)1
Hakto 29. Since my last report to you I have had an additional meeting with Prime Minister Meir and her colleagues last evening and another one with the Prime Minister alone this morning.2 As a result of this effort, there has been a bit of movement in the Israeli attitude and they indicated they now would be willing to withdraw to a line slightly behind the pre-October line, which would (1) put most of Quneitra in the UN zone so that Syrian civilians could return and (2) permit Israel to retain the main defensive positions which it relied on before the October war. This line would thus return to Syria a small area which Israel conquered in 1967, and Syrian civilians could return to all the areas Israel vacated.
In light of this, I want to hold the kind of letter which I recommended last evening3 and which I am confident will be needed at a subsequent stage of the discussion. However, it is essential to keep the Israeli feet to the fire and therefore I recommend that the following brief letter from the President to the Prime Minister be sent on Saturday:4
[Omitted here is the text of Document 41.]
For Scowcroft:
Scowcroft should make arrangements to have it delivered to Shalev Saturday stressing that it was sent by the President from the plane.
Advise by flash cable time of delivery.
Warm regards.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 45, HAK Trip Files, Middle East Memos and Security, April 28–May 31, 1974. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only; Flash.↩
- Kissinger met with the Israeli negotiating team on May 2 at the Foreign Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. The memorandum of conversation lists the time as “After Dinner.” (Ibid., RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, Box 7, Nodis Memcons, March 1974, Folder 6) Kissinger then met with Dayan from 11:40 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. (Memorandum of conversation; Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, CL 192, Geopolitical File, Middle East, Peace Negotiations, Israeli-Syrian Relations, Negotiation Books, Volume I, March–May 1974) Kissinger met with Meir on May 3 from 9:05 to 10:25 a.m. in the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. (Memorandum of conversation; National Archives, RG 59, Records of Henry Kissinger, 1973–77, Box 7, Nodis Memcons, March 1974, Folder 3)↩
- See Document 39.↩
- May 4.↩