227. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter1
Washington, March 20, 1979
SUBJECT
- Peace Treaty Signing Ceremonies
I have forwarded your comments on Begin’s cable to Vance2 for action.
At the same time, let me suggest again that it might be easier for Sadat to live up to the promise, which I asked him to reaffirm two days ago in Cairo, to have a signing ceremony both in Cairo and Jerusalem if a senior American official takes part in it. Having either Vance or Mondale participate will make it less awkward for Sadat to have Begin in Cairo.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 11, Egypt: 1–3/79. Confidential. In the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “Let me approach Sadat directly—send msg. JC.” At the bottom of the memorandum, Carter added the following handwritten message: “To Pres. Sadat, Believing that it was acceptable to you, I have told Begin and my own people that there would be brief signing ceremonies in Israel and in Cairo for the Hebrew & Arabic treaty documents. Both of these events could be completed during one afternoon, and I would be pleased to send a top level American delegation to represent me. I hope you will approve this request. Your friend, J.C.” No evidence of the delivery of this message has been found.↩
- Attached but not printed. In a March 20 meeting with Lewis, Begin requested that a personal message be passed to Vance, conveying Begin’s insistence that “Sadat honor his promise” to sign the Hebrew and Arabic versions of the treaty in Jerusalem and Cairo respectively. The details of this exchange were conveyed in telegram 930 from Jerusalem, March 20. On a copy of the telegram, Carter added the handwritten notation: “I prefer the extra signings, but it’s up to Sadat.” (Ibid.) The signing issue was still not solved on March 22 when Sadat remarked to journalists that while Begin’s proposal for three signing ceremonies was still a “possibility,” he repeated his view that all three versions of the treaty should be signed in Washington “in order to give full credit to President Carter.” Eilts reported that due to worries about Arab public opinion, Khalil was urging Sadat not to go to Jerusalem. Sadat, Eilts added, “clearly expects the issue to be discussed in Washington” when the three leaders convened later in the week. (Telegram 5968 from Cairo, March 23; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790134–0838)↩