84. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to Secretary of State Vance in Jerusalem1
3910. Subject: PLO Attitude Towards UN Resolution 242.
1. [1 line not declassified] prior to Secretary Vance’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, Arafat passed to Saudis a message for Vance saying:
A) PLO was prepared to announce its acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 242 with “reservations” that PLO would add an explanatory statement declaring that Palestinians do not consider themselves refugees but rather a people with national rights including right to an independent national state.
B) PLO accepted Sadat’s “agenda” for a peace settlement.
2. They asked the Saudis to relay this info to Secretary Vance.
3. When they heard President Carter’s August 8 news conference,2 PLO leadership assumed message had been passed and President’s remarks were USG response. However, on August 9, Saudis informed PLO that Secretary Vance had rejected their proposal and had insisted that PLO would have to make a specific reference to Israel’s right to exist.
4. PLO leadership has been stunned by this report since in their view it requires them to go further in recognition of Israel than any Arab state and appears to contradict President Carter’s statement in August 8 news conference. PLO leadership is very anxious to know whether report they have received from Saudis is accurate and/or if their position described above was accurately passed to the secretary by the Saudis.
5. PLO is anxious to have a response ASAP [1½ lines not declassified]
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840072–0389. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis; Cherokee. Sent for information to the Department of State.↩
- At an August 8 exchange with reporters in Plains, Georgia, Carter noted that the PLO had suggested that it “may adopt U.N. Resolution 242, which does recognize Israel’s right to exist permanently and in peace with secure borders.” Carter stated that such a move would “open up a new opportunity for us to start discussions with them and also open up an avenue that they might participate in the Geneva conference.” (Public Papers: Carter, 1977, Book II, pp. 1459–1460)↩