A week before the arrival of Mr. Begin in Washington, President Carter revealed that in a gesture to alleviate tension in the Middle East, President Sadat informed him that Egypt would comply with the Sinai agreement. This was a reference to a number of Israeli complaints to both the United Nations and to the U.S. about repeated Egyptian violations of the Sinai Agreement. Mr. Carter also said that both Sadat and King Hussein agreed that a Palestinian entity should be tied in with Jordan. He also stressed that there would be no American plan to be imposed on the nations of the Middle East. Following are excerpts from the press conference concerning the Middle East:
Q. Mr. President, with Mr. Begin coming to visit, I would like to ask a question about the Middle East, a two-part question. When you talk about the necessity for a Palestinian homeland, are you thinking of locating that homeland in territory that at one time was Palestine, or in your mind could it be located anywhere?
The second part of the question is: Do you still believe, as you said a few weeks ago, that Israel eventually must withdraw, with only minor changes, to the pre-1967 borders?
A. I have not changed my opinion since the earlier statements that I made concerning the general outline of terms to be sought at a possible Geneva Conference.
We have never tried to define geographical boundaries for a so-called Palestinian entity. My own preference, which I have expressed since I have been president, and also as a candidate, was that the Palestinian entity, whatever form it might take, and whatever area it might occupy, should be tied in with Jordan and not be independent. But I don't have the authority nor the inclination to try to impose that preference on the parties that want to negotiate.
I think that in his coming over here to our country next week, on the l9th, that Prime Minister Begin is trying to bring with him an open mind, and an ability to go to a possible peace conference with all items being negotiable. He said this publicly and he has also sent me private messages to that effect.
I have seen an inclination in the Middle East in recent days toward an alleviation of tension. I got a private message from President Sadat, for instance, that he is going to make every effort again to comply with the Sinai Agreement.
He had a few extra troops in the territory that had been identified. He is withdrawing those. He authorized me to announce that he is returning with full military honors 19 Israeli bodies that had been left in Egypt. He has expressed his willingness to go to Geneva without prior commitments. He has had negotiations or talks lately with the King of Jordan. And they have agreed that the Palestinian entity ought to be tied in with Jordan.
So there is a general inclination on all parties for success, but I don't think it is advisable now for me to get any more specific than I have in the past.
Although I haven't changed my position, I want to reemphasize that we are not going to go to the different nations involved and say: "This is an American plan, you have got to accept it as a pre-condition to going to Geneva." It is what we think would be fair. It has been deliberately general in nature and the ultimate results would have to be agreed to by the Arab and Israel nations...