At a special session, the cabinet discussed guidelines regarding President Richard M. Nixon's visit to Israel. The discussion was opened by a report of Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Simcha Dinitz. At the conclusion of the discussion, the following statement was issued:
The Government and people of Israel extend a warm welcome to the President of the United States, Mr. Richard Nixon, Mrs. Nixon and their party on the occasion of the first visit of an American President to Israel.
The people and government of Israel express their respect and gratitude to the American people for its generous assistance to the State of Israel from its establishment until this day. The United States' support in many fields assisted Israel in successfully accomplishing the task of absorbing the remnants of the Holocaust from Eastern Europe, and of the Jews from Arab countries who thronged here to settle in their homeland, where they developed a creative, modern economy.
American support of besieged Israel in the field of armaments enabled this country to defend itself against repeated aggression by neighbouring countries, which received vast supplies of aggressive weapons from Soviet sources.
During President Richard Nixon's term of office, and thanks to his appreciation of, and response to, Israel's tasks and needs, the friendship between Israel and the people and government of the U.S.A. reached an unparalleled degree.
During that period, whilst Israel was faced with the grave threat to her very existence by the Arab states -encouraged by the Soviet Union - the U.S. used its best endeavours to strengthen Israel and made systematic political efforts in order to bring calm to the region. The political stand of the United States against Arab terrorism throughout the world should also be noted.
Israel and the Jewish people will not forget the help of America's president in the month of October 1973. In those hard days of the Yom Kippur War, at a time when Israel was focussing all her strength to repel a powerful surprise attack launched simultaneously by the armies of Egypt and Syria. This help is an exemplary expression of the friendship and concern for Israel's security.
Following the October War, the U.S. offered its good services to the countries of this region. President Nixon despatched the Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger, to our part of the world where the latter worked for the achievement of a Separation of Forces Agreement with Egypt, after which he laboured untiringly to obtain a Separation of Forces Agreement with Syria, which was accompanied by the release of the Israeli soldiers who had fallen into Syrian captivity.
The Jewish people is grateful to the United States and their president, Richard Nixon, for their aid in the struggle of the Jews of Soviet Russia for the right to come to Israel in which progress was made during his term of office.
The Middle East tour of the U.S. President and his visit to Israel fall into a period of quiet in the region. The Israel government trusts that the president's tour will assist the nations of the Middle East to overcome hostility and aggressive trends, to direct resources hitherto devoted to the preparation for war towards development and, principally, to advance from a cease-fire towards a durable peace assuring Israel of defensible borders, and promising undisturbed development to all nations in the region.
The Israel government is ready for frank and constructive talks with the President of the United States on all subjects of common interest to Israel and the U.S., and on anything that concerns the maintenance of peace in this region and throughout the world.
The government of Israel trust that these talks will assist in deepening the amicable relations between Israel and the United States of America, to benefit and protect the values of freedom and democracy dear to both our peoples, and the consolidation of peace in the Middle East and in the world.