72 Friday, November 19, 1982

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Carter Battles With Jewish Spokesmen in Memoirs

Drama on a high level,
the chronicling of the most
historic events in American
and world history, human
reactions and personal re-
flections, the confrontations
between antagonists in one
of the most embattled areas
on earth — these are just a
few of the recorded events
that lend significance to
"Keeping Faith: Memoirs of
a President" by Jimmy Car-
ter (Bantam Books).
So many domestic Ameri-
can and world problems, is-
sues involving the Middle
East and the Soviet and
European involvements,
are highlighted in these au-
tobiographical notes. They
will keep' drawing attention
and will remain applicable
to future developments on
many scenes.
The Camp David experi-
ences which resulted in 'the
Israel-Egypt approach to a
peace pact, the dramatic
events that were marked
there, occupy an important
portion of "Keeping Faith"
and is an aspect of primary
interest in the Carter ex-
periences as President.
It is a volume typed by
the President, with
memoirs recorded by
him. There is the day-
by-day account of the
Camp David disputes
and the major characters
in that drama are de-
picted with candor.
Egypt's President Anwar
Sadat had not spoken to Is-
rael Prime Minister
Menahem Begin in the first
nine days of the historic con-
frontations. Then came an
easing of tensions with the
well-known results.
It was on the first day of
the Camp David negotia-
tions that Carter recorded
in his diary (Sept 5, 1978):
"Sadat stated that he would
back me in all things and
that he had a comprehen-
sive settlement plan 'here in
my pocket.' He let me know
that he was prepared to be
flexible on all issues except
two, land and sovereignty."
President Carter does not
neglect his having been
angered at times. This is
evident in the record of
negotiations with the Is-
raelis on the third day at
Camp David. That's when
he "shouted." Under date of
Sept. 7, 1977, the President
recorded in his diary and
reproduced it in "Keeping
Faith":
"Beginning 8:30 a.m.,
I met for two flours with
Begin, (Foreign Minister)
Moshe Dayan and (De-
fense Minister) Ezer
Weizman. Vance and
Brzezinski were with me.
"I told the Israeli delega-
tion that the key question
was: are you willing to
withdraw from the occupied

territories and honor Pales-
tinian rights, in exchange
for adequate assurances for
your security, including an
internationally recognized
treaty of peace?
" If not,' I said, 'Egypt will
eventually turn away from
the peace process, and the
full power of the Arabs, and
perhaps world opinion, will
be marshaled against you.'
"Dayan asked; 'What does
withdrawal mean? Troops,
settlements? Will I be a for-
eigner on the West Bank?
Will I have to get a visa to go
to Jericho? With autonomy,
can the Arabs there create a
Palestinian state? Can they
resettle the refugees from
Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Jimmy Carter of the United States and
Lebanon to the West Bank?
Menahem Begin of Israel are shown at the White House ceremonies
Who will protect us from
which followed the historic Camp David talks which led to the
-Jordan? Who will be re-
Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement.
sponsible for controlling
terrorists?'
"All restraint was now wounds of past political or one of his earliest com-
"I asked for Israel's an- gone. Their faces were military battles.
ments:
swers to Dayan's ques- flushed, and the niceties of
"There was also a
"Under intense pressure,
tions, but Begin shifted diplomatic language and Sadat moved away from de- private-public disparity,
back to Sadat's proposal protocol were stripped tails and words and into the though of different nature,
and began to analyze it away. They had almost for- realm of general principles among the leaders of the
again in minute detail. It gotten that I was there, and and broad strategic con- many organized groups in
was obvious that we were there was nothing to dis- cepts. When he was feeling the American Jewish com-
wasting time.
tract me from recording this pressed, Begin invariably munity. In our private con-
"I became angry and al- fascinating debate.
shifted to a discussion of versations they were often
most shouted, 'What do you
"Begin repeated that minutiae or semantics, with supportive and, like the
actually want for Israel if no Israeli leader could a recurrent inclination to Arab leaders, urged us to
peace is signed? How many possibly advocate the recapitulate ancient history explore every avenue that
refugees and what kind can dismantling of the Sinai or to resurrect an old argu- might lead to peace.
come back? I need to know settlements, and he ment.
"They' would deplore Is-
whether you need to added that four other
"When we agreed to meet rael4 excesses, travel to
monitor the border, what conditions would have to again in the afternoon, none Jerusalem to seek out mod-
military outposts are neces- be met before the Sinai of us had any idea it would erate leaders who shared
sary to guard your security. could be returned to be our last meeting together the same goals, and give
What else do you want?
for the duration of the generously of their time and
Egypt.
" al know the facts, then
"Begin had touched a raw negotiations. Paradoxi- money to any peaceful or
I can take them to Sadat and nerve, and I thought Sadat cally, it was the profound benevolent cause. But in a
difference between them public showdown on a con-
try to satisfy both you and would explode. He pounded
him. My problem is with the table, shouting that that allowed us to find a way troversial issue, they
what is not really necessary land was not negotiable, to save the day. But these would almost always side
to Israel's security. I must especially land in the Sinai very differences would with the Israeli leaders and
have your frank assess- and Golan Heights. Those make things much worse condemn us for being
ment. My greatest strength borders were internation- before they could improve." `evenhanded' in our concern
here is your confidence — ally recognized.
The end result is a mat- about both Palestinian
but I don't feel that I have
"He pointed out that for ter of record. The details rights and Israeli security.
"I presumed that with all
your trust.
30 years the Israelis had de- pursued in the Carter
" 'What do you really need sired full recognition, no memoirs are fascinat- the other condemnations of
for your defense? It is Arab boycott and guaran- ingly historic and the Israel in the United Nations
ridiculous to speak of Jor- teed security. He was giving dramatizations are and from many individual
dan overrunning Israel! I them all of that. He wanted unique. From the third countries, American Jews
believe I can get from Sadat them to be secure. 'Security,
day record just quoted it even feeling critical, did not
what you really need, but I yes! Land, no!!' he shouted.
is evident that there was want to make their criti-
just do not have your confi-
"There was no need for much bitterness to start cisms public."
This may have been a
dence.'
United Nations forces in the with, before amity was
"Weizman replied, We area, he declared; Israel and reached; that there was a contributing element in
wouldn't be here if we Egypt could defend them-
considerable amount of criticisms later heard,
didn't have confidence in selves. He promised that in shouting, that Begin was frequently, in accusatory
you.'
not the beloved member fashion, that Jewish
the Suez, there would be no
spokesmen were overly
"At 10:30, I met with restrictions on navagation,
of the negotiating team.
dedicated to Israel.
Sadat and Begin. A hot nor in the Straits of Tiran. A
American Jewry had,
Then there is a bit of criti-
argument took place. Sadat permanent end to bellige-
was incensed because Begin rency — all this, and more. continues to have, deepest cism of Moshe Dayan:
"We could not understand
rejected the idea that his But, he said, he must termi- concern, interest and in-
nation should pay for the nate the discussions if volvement in all events re- why Dayan seemed nervous
Egyptian oil which was Begin continued to prove lated to Israel and the entire and confused on other is-
Middle East. It is on this sues. (From Dayan's later
being pumped at that mo- that he wanted land.
ment to Israel.
"I did not know where score that Carter reactions published explanation it is
"They began arguing to go from there. We had are of vital interest. Here, clear he was in a bad mood
about who had conquered 'accomplished little so far as on all matters recorded in because he had received
whom, and I had to inter- except to name the dif- the Carter memoirs, there is harsh 'criticism from the
frankness; nothing is hid- American Jews and had to
cede to convince them that ficult issues.
defend a settlement policy
neither was claiming that
"There was no compati- den.
At the outset, Begin's ' he proposed.)"
the other represented a de- bility between the two'men,
There is another note
feated nation. They calmed and almost every discussion election as prime minister
down a little, but the subject of any subject deteriorated shocked Carter. Here is which begins on a positive
tone but proceeds to indi-
of land was central for both into an unproductive argu- what he wrote:
"After a few weeks, cate the rising criticism of
and could not be avoided.
ment, reopening the old
Menahem Begin, then the President who was los-
known to many Americans ing supporters for re-
as a right-wing radical election. Carter's memoir
leader, was elected to head on this score states:
Israel's government. Israeli
"We had arranged a
citizens, the American White House reception
Jewish community, and I after the meeting, invit-
were shocked. None of us ing 200 rabbis to celeb-
knew what to expect."
rate Israel's anniversary.
Carter had numerous Twelve hundred people
conferences with Jewish showed up at the gates.
representatives.. Here is We asked all of them in,

,

-

moving the entire affair
out onto the South Lawn,
and Begin and I made
brief but somewhat emo-
tional speeches.
"I promised our nation's
permanent support for Is-
rael, and offered to set up a
commission to establish an
American memorial for the
victims of the Holocaust.
Then Begin and I shook
hands with every guest.
"It turned out to be a very
positive and heartwarming
experience, but had very lit-
tle effect either in the Mid-
dle East or within our coun-
try. I still had serious politi-
cal problems among Ameri-
can Jews, and a 'few days
later we had to postpone
two major Democratic
fund-raising banquets in
New York and Los Angeles
because so many party
members had canceled their
reservations to attend."
It was on the score of the
botched U.S. vote at the
United Nations, the first
derogatory declaration by
the American delegate, that
Carter wrote:
"With my explanation
to Begin I had perhaps
restored some of my cre-
dibility as a mediator of
the Middle East disputes,
but this snafu was a seri-
ous political blow to me
— both the original vote
and the accurate image of
confusion among Am-
bassador McHenry, the
Secretary of State and
me.
"The equivocation after
the United.States vote had
served to emphasize the
dramatic nature of the er-
ror. Later, this episode was
a direct cause of my primary
losses in New York and
Connecticut, and it proved
highly damaging to me
among American Jews
throughout the country for
the remainder of the elec-
tion year."
In the President's sum-
mation of the Camp David
decisions, Carter again
wrote reprovingly of
Menahem Begin. Here he •
also commented on the Hus-
sein role and other related
matters, declaring:
The most emotional time
of all was after the agree-
ment was reached. I read in
the news that Israeli
teachers who were out on
strike, having heard about
the Camp David agreement,
voted unanimously to go
back to work. Diary, Sept.
18, 1978.
"In spite of the general
euphoria in many places,
there were still some im-
mediate problems. I
'realized, of course, how im-
portant-it was to involve the
other Arab leaders as soon
as possible, particularly
King Hussein and the Saudi
rulers.
"While at Camp David,
President Sadat had told me
that Hussein was willing to
help us implement the
agreement, and that he and
Hussein had made ar-
rangements to meet in
Morocco when Sadat was on
the way home to Egypt.
Now, I learned that the
(Continued on Page 3)