381. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassies in Israel and Egypt1
150415. For Ambassador for Urgent Delivery June 7. Subject: Letter for President Sadat.
1. (S-entire text)
2. Please deliver the following message from President Carter to President Sadat as soon as possible.2
3. Begin text:
Dear President Sadat:
I have been, as you know, greatly concerned about the hiatus in the autonomy negotiations. I believe that it is of the foremost importance to the success of these negotiations that they be resumed as soon as possible. I am convinced that failure to resume the negotiations will only [Page 1265] strengthen those who oppose our course and will endanger our mutual efforts to achieve comprehensive peace in the area.
I am also convinced that the only sound way of meeting your concerns and achieving our mutual goals is to pursue the autonomy negotiations as actively as possible so that we can make demonstrable progress on the key issues critical to the autonomy concept.
I therefore urge, Mr. President, that you authorize us to tell the Israelis that you are prepared to resume the negotiations as soon as possible. If you will do this, I believe the next step might be to arrange a meeting among the delegation heads to draw up plans for the resumption of negotiations on lines that will ensure they proceed as productively as possible.
With warm personal regards,
Jimmy Carter
End text.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 5, Egypt: President Anwar al-Sadat, 1–6/80. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room. Drafted by A. Marks (S/SN); cleared by Sterner, Raymond G. Seitz (S/S) and Jane E. Taylor (S/S–O); approved by Linowitz. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P880143–1901) The draft version of the message was forwarded to Carter for his approval under a June 6 covering memorandum from Brzezinski. Initialing his approval on the covering memorandum, which states that the message was drafted by Linowitz, Carter added a handwritten note: “It sounds like nothing. I hope it works. J.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 5, Egypt: President Anwar al-Sadat, 1–6/80)↩
- Atherton delivered Carter’s message to Mubarak on June 8 for delivery to Sadat who was in Ismailia. (Telegram 12715 from Cairo, June 8; Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 19, Egypt: 6/80)↩