94. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt1
194978. For Ambassador from the Secretary. Subject: President Carter’s Message to President Sadat. Ref: Cairo 13615.2
1. Please tell Fahmy that I welcome the opportunity to clarify the points he has raised with you in your conversation reported reftel. Your response to his description of the President’s reference to a unified Arab obligation as an “ultimatum” was right on the mark. Our only motive in urging our Egyptian friends to give serious consideration to this idea is to try to find some practical way of resolving the Palestinian representation problem. The Israelis have said that they will not deal with PLO Palestinians in any form in Geneva. We do not agree with this since we believe some way must be found for Palestinian views to be expressed in the negotiations. We see no realistic possibility that the PLO could be present at Geneva as a separate dele[Page 479]gation with the same status as sovereign state representatives. What we are seeking is some compromise arrangement on which all the Arabs could agree and which we could have a realistic chance of persuading the Israelis was a reasonable proposal. It would seem to us that the unified Arab delegation idea is the most feasible one so far proposed to accomplish this purpose.
2. With respect to Fahmy’s request for clarification of our position if PLO accepts Resolution 242 along the lines of the formula I discussed with the Egyptians, you may tell Fahmy the following. We cannot, as I previously have said, unilaterally arrange for PLO representation at Geneva since this will require the agreement of all the original participants. If PLO accepts Resolution 242, however, so that we can enter into an official dialogue with it, we believe this would introduce greater flexibility into the representation question and would give us something to work with in our efforts to find a mutually agreed formula for Palestinian participation. In other words, while we cannot guarantee results in advance, we can assure Fahmy that once PLO has accepted Resolution 242 and we have established contacts with it, our efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian representation question will be enhanced.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Subject File, Box 10, Egypt: 8–12/77. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. The original is the copy sent to the White House for Brzezinski on August 17.↩
- In telegram 13615 from Cairo, August 16, which was repeated to the White House in telegram 194172, Ambassador Eilts reported that Foreign Minister Fahmy would give Sadat Carter’s letter, but that Fahmy “professed not to understand our position” with regard to a unified Arab delegation. Fahmy stated that Sadat would not agree to a unified delegation as it would be against Egypt’s interests, and he termed the U.S. request to consider a unified delegation an “ultimatum.” Fahmy also noted that Sadat would want clarification on the PLO and its possible attendance at the Geneva Conference. (Ibid.)↩