Following the expiration of the UNEF mandate, and discussions held in Haifa between President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin concerning the supervision of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, the U.S. proposed a provisional arrangement. Under this proposal the U.S. would undertake to supervise the agreement for a period of three years by means of the civilian monitoring station placed in Sinai under the 1975 Israel-Egypt Interim Agreement. At the end of three years, a multi-national force would be established. The creation of such a force would be a precondition to Israel's completing its withdrawal from Sinai. Following is a summary compiled by the Foreign Ministry as given by Mr. Dayan to the Israeli press:
Mr. Dayan had called this press conference in order to correct an erroneous impression conveyed by press reports of the Cabinet's decision of the previous day concerning the supervision of arrangements under the peace treaty in Sinai.
Reporters, he said, were aware that obstacles in the way of employing a United Nations force in the supervisory function, and the difficulty the U.S. had experienced in setting up a multi-national force in accordance with its undertaking, had led to the U.S. proposing a provisional arrangement as an alternative. The proposal was that the U.S. would use its own civilian body of monitors stationed in Sinai under the Interim Agreement with Egypt of 1975, for a period of three years, after which a U.N. or a multi-national force would start functioning. This proposal was discussed in Washington with Israel's and Egypt's representatives, who found it satisfactory and recommended it to their respective governments for approval. The Israel Cabinet had now considered the matter and communicated to the U.S. Government its acceptance of the proposal, requesting at the same time some clarifications on two subsidiary points - one concerning the procedures within the United States governing the use of the monitoring body, and the other concerning the formal nature of the new arrangement, since this represented a departure from the peace treaty. The Cabinet also added two declarations, again not as conditions but as a reaffirmation of the stand taken by Israel's representatives when the subject was discussed in Washington. One was that Israel would not effect the final withdrawal from Sinai unless a suitable international supervisory force was established by the time the final withdrawal was due. The second declaration was that Israel does not regard the U.N. Truce Observers as an acceptable supervisory force as long as the peace treaty is not approved by the U.N. Security Council.
Thus, said Mr. Dayan, the Cabinet had in fact definitely accepted the U.S. proposal. He would not go so far as to say that the U.S. had done everything possible to set up the multi-national force stipulated, though he admitted that European countries had shown themselves unwilling to give the peace treaty full and active support. However, under the circumstances, the proposed arrangement was the best alternative available. He felt sure that it was a reasonable arrangement for the interim period; but the final dispositions would have to include the stationing of an armed multi-national supervisory force as stipulated.