143. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Carter and Egyptian President Sadat1
SUBJECT
- Telephone Conversation Between President Carter and President Sadat, November 22, 1978
President Carter: President Sadat, this is Jimmy Carter. How are you doing?
President Sadat: Good evening, Mr. President.
President Carter: It’s a great pleasure to hear from you. How are you getting along?
President Sadat: Very well. And you? I’m very happy.
President Carter: That’s fine.
President Sadat: It’s good to hear your voice.
President Carter: Thank you for that. I’m glad to hear your voice too, good friend.
[Page 503]President Sadat: The last time you were really frustrated.
President Carter: Yes, I was. I’ve been that way several times, but you have always helped me get over a frustrating moment. I hope that is the same situation now.
President Sadat: You have already achieved 90 percent of the most dangerous problems that have almost lasted thirty years, but it is thousands of years. Believe me, you have achieved 90 percent. My assessment is that we shall reassess the situation here. I shall send you every detail, everything.
President Carter: That sounds good. I think you know what the Israelis’ position is now. I am looking forward to your reassessment. I hope you will let me make a few comments to you before you send it to me. Do you have time to listen for just a moment?
President Sadat: Yes, yes.
President Carter: The Israelis have accepted the treaty text and all the annexes—the one that we have negotiated. We support the treaty text and annexes as well. I hope that you can do the same. This leaves the letter which we also support, by the way, and which was drafted by us. As a matter of fact your proposal2 which was made by Mr. Mubarak when he was here is a very constructive document and reasonably acceptable to everyone, to us at least, except for the police force which would create new problems. I hope that you will look at your draft of the letter and see if you can leave out the last paragraph.
President Sadat: I will see to this. As I told you, Mr. President, I will be sending you everything in detail, even before I send you the reassessment.
President Carter: When will I receive this from you?
President Sadat: Well, I will send it next week. Our week starts on Saturday, in two days.
President Carter: All right. It is very important, President Sadat, that you not get in a position with the world public opinion where we and Israel agree and you don’t, because I know that you have been very constructive.
President Sadat: I know this, Mr. President.
President Carter: What I hope that you can do is to accept the treaty and the annexes and also accept the letter that we have put forward. I mentioned briefly to Prime Minister Begin yesterday3 the need to move on the West Bank and Gaza election and the self-government and the fact that it may be advisable to delay the interim withdrawal until that [Page 504] self-government is established after the elections. Begin did not respond. He said that he was not qualified to respond to that. I told him that this was not an official suggestion, but just an idea. As you know, this is what you outlined Sunday before last when I talked to you.4
President Sadat: Right, Mr. President.
President Carter: If we can conclude the negotiations on the treaty and accept it as it is and then concentrate on the letter which would tie the West Bank/Gaza self-government to the Sinai withdrawal or to a date to be concluded at the end of next year, that would put you in a very favorable position, and would open an opportunity for success.
President Sadat: Hermann told [me] about this.5 I get your point, Mr. President.
President Carter: Good. I just don’t want the world to think that we and Israel agree, and that you are the obstacle to peace, because obviously that has never been the case.
President Sadat: For that I am really intending to make this reassessment and I can contact you in two days.
President Carter: I will be looking forward to that.
President Sadat: Very good.
President Carter: How are you personally? Are you getting along okay?
President Sadat: Very good. How are Rosalynn and the children?
President Carter: They are fine and all of us are going to Camp David for our Thanksgiving late tonight. We have invited our family and Rosalynn’s family to join us there.
President Sadat: Marvelous, marvelous. I wish you all happiness and success, Mr. President.
President Carter: Thank you very much. I really appreciate a chance to talk to you. The other point that I want to make with you, Mr. President, is that whatever you can do improve the communication with the Saudi Arabians would be very helpful to us.
President Sadat: Fahd sent me the ambassador today.
President Carter: That is very fine.
President Sadat: Yes. But we shall be doing it discreetly.
President Carter: That’s understandable and I approve of that, of course. Well, good luck to you, Mr. President.
President Sadat: Never worry about this question.
President Carter: All right.
[Page 505]President Sadat: As I told you, I am in control and everything will go smooth.
President Carter: I look forward to that and I will be very pleased to get your assessment.
President Sadat: I shall also tell you about what happens between me and Fahd.
President Carter: I need to know that.
President Sadat: The Vice President met with him today. He sent me a message and I shall be sending you everything.
President Carter: That’s good. Let me add one other comment. All of us were very favorably impressed with Vice President Mubarak.
President Sadat: I am happy to know this.
President Carter: He did an outstanding job for you. I think you can be very, very pleased with him.
President Sadat: Thank you, Mr. President.
President Carter: Good day and good-bye, my friend.
President Sadat: Thank you very much and good-bye.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron File, Box 11, Egypt: 9–12/78. Secret. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Carter spoke with Sadat from 12:03 p.m. to 12:12 p.m. (Carter Library, Presidential Materials)↩
- See Document 139.↩
- See Document 141.↩
- See Document 132.↩
- See Document 142.↩