Office of the Historian

39. Handwritten Note Prepared by the Ambassador to Israel (Lewis)1

Camp David, September 8, 1978, 4:50-5 p.m.

Abbreviated US-Israel Bi-Lateral

Dayan, Weizman, Barak, Tamir, Rubenstein

MD—Want to propose a kind of deal. No freeze on settlem[ents] would be just totally impractical. Believe we have agreed on 3 of 4 issues—or can agree—& settlements is left.

[Page 153]

Couldn’t we put on record that we did have our position—& we will come back to it after all other issues with Egypt are settled. We will come back to it.

And similarly with regard to Sinai settlements. Let’s see first if we can agree about everything else. If so, then go back to it. Not close it.

For WB, as well as Sinai settlements (though issue is different—(freeze & removal)

CV—Let me think about it. Don’t know how realistic that is to put it off indefinitely.

(Clarify—not till after Camp David.) Put aside.

Has some merit. Let me see it.

MD—Best from practical pt. of view, freeze of settlers just won’t work.

CV—I asked Pres. to raise with Sadat this afternoon,2 as you asked, that he meet separately on airfields. We’ll now see.

EW—He won’t do it. He’ll say talk to Gamasy.

Barak—No he won’t.

—Chats with Eli, Rosenne, & Ezer p.m. Fri. Sept. 73

34 issues where JC thinks agreement has been reached which aren’t covered in our draft:5

West Bank, Gaza sovereignty—to be resolved in final peace treaty w/ Jordan

Limited armaments in Sinai/East6 of passes

Air Strips

  1. Source: Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, Principal Officer Program Files, Lot 85F104, Personal for Ambassador Lewis—Sensitive Notes 1978. No classification marking. No other record of this meeting has been found.↩
  2. See footnote 23, Document 28.↩
  3. Not further identified, but presumably a misdated reference to discussions held Friday, September 8.↩
  4. Unclear whether this note references September 8 conversations with Rubenstein, Rosenne, and Weizman referenced above (footnote 4) or Lewis is recording a separate thought. Note appears at the top of an overleaf page that is otherwise undated.↩
  5. Not further identified which specific draft Lewis is referring to here. See footnote 8, Document 28.↩
  6. Lewis wrote “not” above this word.↩