Mr. Begin confirmed that the meeting with the President did not start off well, but that later the atmosphere warmed up, and both leaders were optimistic regarding the apparently imminent withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon. He also mentioned the hostile U.S. media and unfriendly remarks made by Senator Percy, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. At the time, the U.S. media was reporting on continued fighting in the Beirut area and shelling in West Beirut. Text:
The discussions were very important, very warm, friendly. I won't hide that there were those certain comments which I couldn't accept, and I had to respond to them, and I responded. For example, there was the assumption, before I came, that in that operation against the two terrorist military targets in the stadium in Beirut and the training camp, that we hit civilian populations. There was such an assumption in the United States. This was publicized. I had to correct the mistaken impression. And the President himself was so impressed by the relation of the real facts that when we went from his office into the administration meeting room, and I did not mention this fact, he asked me to repeat it for all his colleagues and advisors. This is a sign that it really made an impression on him.
It is inconceivable that in Kiryat Shemona people will still be wounded or killed... today if you come for a summer vacation, I suggest that you spend it in Nahariya. No Katyusha will fall on you. This is the historic change. The life of the population of the Galilee is today safe, for the first time in six or seven years. This is the result of Operation Peace for Galilee. And this is increasingly sinking in among all the people we met with. The President, the Secretary, members of the administration, Congressmen. In another hour I will also meet with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Chairman made some unfriendly statements before I came. We may have an argument. So we will speak as free men.
The (U.S.) media usually give non-objective and unreal reports. I have proof from yesterday and today. Yesterday I visited the President, I hear the following report on T.V.: that no senior official awaited me. The Secretary of State waited for me. By any criterion the most senior official after the President. Later they said that he hid among the journalists. There were colleagues with me who will testify whether he hid or not... he greeted me, he waited for me, he ushered me into the President, as it should be. We shook hands. The President was most friendly. Insisted that I also call him by his first name. I hesitated, I said, you are the President, I am only a prime minister; you can call me by my first name, but I will call you Mr. President. But he insisted. This is also a certain sign of friendliness. What did they say in the media... as if I was greeted in unfriendly fashion, not true. I just switched on the T.V. this morning, I hear that we killed 36 civilians. I called, I asked for the Defense Minister, I got the Foreign Minister. He said, nothing of the sort. Later yesterday, while we sat with the President... the Secretary says, we just received a report that during the exchange of fire between and the P.L.O., the Soviet Embassy was hit, that is by an Israeli shell, and there was loss of life. I called the Defense Minister, and he says, nothing of the sort. We are seven kilometers from the Soviet Embassy. We never exchanged fire with anyone there. It wasn't hit at all. You see how they make propaganda, as if Israel is some kind of troublemaker.