862–10

Conversation No. 862-10

Date: February 23, 1973
Time: 11:22 am - 12:30 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Hafez Ismail, M. Hafez Ghanem, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft; the White
House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.


Greetings
-President’s schedule
-Delay

[Photograph session]
-Arrangements
-[General conversation]

Middle East
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Chances of peace
-Conflicts
-US discussions with nations in area

Ismail’s message from Anwar el-Sadat

President’s meeting with Gamal Abdel Nasser

Unknown person entered at an unknown time after 11:22 am.

Refreshments

Matches

Smoking Cairo
-Popularity

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 11:45 am.

Middle East
-Normalization of relations with Egypt
-President’s first term
-Difficulties
-Future possibilities
-President’s second term
-US expectations for settlement
-[Hussein, King of Jordan] Hussein ibn Talal
-Golda Meir
-Talks
-Egypt
-Jordan
-Israel
-President’s goals
-Prior statements
-Normalization of relations with Egypt
-Sincerity
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
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Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Forthright talks

Ismail’s visit
-Camp David
-Purpose
-New bilateral relationship
-Peace in Middle East
-Sadat
-Egypt’s independence
-US, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]

Egypt
-Meeting in Moscow
-US knowledge
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-End of Soviet military presence
-Impact
-Normalization of relations

Arab world
-US policy
-Aswan Dam
-Egypt
-Pride
-Position in Arab world
-Independence movements
-Economic development
-Population
-Geographic size
-Culture
-Influence

President’s trip to North Africa in 1955
-Impressions
-Teachers
-Report to National Security Council [NSC]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Cultural wealth of Egypt
-President’s respect
-Contacts with US

Egypt
-Population
-Teachers
-Farmers, laborers
-Contribution to world
-US role
-Problems with US
-Neighbors’ fears
-Revolution
-Stability
-Influence
-Nasser’s speeches
-Egypt’s position in the Arab world
-Saudi Arabia
-Contributions
-Progress
-Desire for peace
-Military activities
-Sacrifices
-Sovereignty
-Territory
-Prestige, pride
-Stability
-US role

President’s accomplishments
-Influence
-Peace settlement in Vietnam
-Interest in Middle East

US
-Need for participation in Middle East
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Guarantor of peace

Hostages
-Airline shoot down
-Compared to Institutional Pacifico Banco
-Israeli Embassy
-Release
-US statements
-Ismail’s trip
-Statesmanship

Egypt
-Desire for peace
-Cease-fire duration
-Lack of movement
-Fault

Israel
-Desire for peace
-Goals
-Occupied lands
-Status quo
-Immigrants

US support for Israel
-Military aid
-Impact of Israel’s attitude
-Intransigence
-Effect on Egypt
-Egypt’s understanding
-Balance of force policy
-Fairness
-Justification
-Soviet Union’s presence in Egypt
-Continued US aid to Israel
-Impact on peace negotiations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)




Middle East conflict
-Origins
-Arab-Israeli conflict
-Suez Canal
-Palestine
-Jews, Palestinians
-Necessary of resolution
-Solution
-Egypt’s role
-Buffer territory
-Shape
-Israel
-Occupied lands
-Palestinian question
-Separate issue

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 11:54 am.

Greetings

Arab-Israeli conflict

Ismail’s title
-Proper address

Kissinger’s title
-Vietnamese-Cambodian Special Advisor

Middle East conflict
-Origin
-Palestinian problem
-Conflict with Israel
-Settlement
-Egypt’s position
-Withdrawal to international borders
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Security guarantees
-US proposals of 1968-1969
-Negotiations
-Steps
-Balance
-Timing

Israel’s security question
-Palestinians
-Zionism
-Arab reactions
-Threat to peace
-Egypt’s role
-Expropriation of Palestine territory
-Recognition of Israel’s sovereignty
-Foreign relations
-Compared with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt
-National sovereignty compared with Zionism
-International contributions
-France
-Peace agreement with Israel
-News story
-Sadat decision
-Ismail’s role
-Settlement

Security
-Israel’s arms accumulation
-Long range missiles
-Nuclear research
-Challenge to Egypt
-International guarantees
-Egypt’s role

Negotiations
-Egypt’s viewpoints
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Israel and Palestinian negotiations
-William P. Rogers’s viewpoint
-Palestinian representation
-Jordan, Egypt
-Israel and Palestinian negotiations
-Frontiers
-Refugees
-Egypt’s role
-Occupied territory
-Withdrawal as precondition
-Resolution of conflict
-timing
-US role
-Superpower
-Security, peace
-Influence in the Middle East
-US interests
-Balanced, even-handed approach
-Ismail’s message to the President

President’s viewpoint
-Realism
-Egypt’s firm position
-Alternatives
-Ismail’s visit
-International attention
-Trip to Moscow
-[Hussein, King of Jordan] Hussein ibn Talal’s visit [?]
-Golda Meir’s visit
-US goals
-Timely resolution
-Relations with Egypt
-Palestinian, Israeli conflict

Negotiations
-US experience with the People’s Republic of China [PRC], Union of Soviet
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



Socialist Republics [USSR], Vietnam
-Two-track method
-Diplomatic channel
-Rogers
-Discussions with Meir, Hussein
-Compromise
-Egypt’s position
-Sovereignty
-National pride
-Security
-Israel’s position
-Security
-Radical elements
-Israel’s over-reaction
-Libyan airline incident
-France’s role
-Pilot
-Israel’s role
-Meir’s orders
-Israel’s security
-Secure airspace
-USSR’s presence
-Non-governmental actors
-Rogers
-Consultation with Ismail
-Compared with a summit
-Meir
-President’s skepticism
-Europe, Moscow, Peking
-Preparation
-Excessive optimism

Private talks
-Confidential
-Rogers
-Trip to Europe
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-President’s schedule
-Ismail’s trip to New York
-Confidential meeting with Kissinger
-Compared with summit
-Direct channel to President
-Bilateral talks
-Frank discussion
-Israel’s position
-Egypt’s position
-Sovereignty problem
-Security problems
-Arms

US relations with PRC and USSR
-Long term goals
-Disagreement
-Stops toward goals
-Compared with interim agreements
-Momentum

Middle East conflict
-Final settlement

-President’s opinion
-Common goal
-Planned talks
-Kissinger
-US goal
-Permanent settlement
-Pragmatist
-Feasibility
-Necessary steps
-Meeting of Kissinger and Ismail
-Permanent settlement
-Steps
-Feasibility
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)
Conversation No. 862-10 (cont’d)



-Negotiating positions
-Long term goal
-Alternatives
-Definition of issues
-Sovereignty compared to security
-Possibility of compromise

Ismail’s mission
-Meeting with Rogers and Kissinger
-Report to Sadat
-Process of consultation
-Confidentiality
-Public diplomacy
-Private talks
-Publicity
-Israel
-Problems
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Schedule
-Message
-Diplomatic process

Tricia Nixon Cox’s comments on Egypt
-Visit
-Ismail’s welcome

Egypt
-Normalized relations with the US
-President’s second term
-President’s visit
-Kissinger
-US relations with PRC
-Progress in diplomatic relations
-Hopes for peace

Kissinger and Ismail left at 12:30 pm.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-10)