Description:

Israel

Reagan Meeting Notes with Prime Minister Begin on White House Stationary by Philip Habib

 

In this fascinating set of notes of a meeting on September 9, 1981, Habib records the concerns of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Israeli Minister of Defense Ariel Sharon, President Ronald Reagan, and Secretary of State Alexander Haig. This group also includes a typed “Schedule for Ambassador Habib’s Participation in Begin Visit” and a typed memorandum with details of Habib’s flight to San Francisco on September 11.

 

[ISRAEL.] PHILIP C. HABIB, Autograph Notes and Typed Itinerary, September 8-10, 1981. 7 pp., 5" x 8". Handwritten notes on “The White House” stationery. Very good.

 

Excerpts:

“PM"

“1. Distinction betw. def. of Israel / always just to defend self."

“2. How to defend common interest is another problem / strategic cooperation – no time to lose”

“Pres – agrees”

“PM F-15 enhancement / serious threat to Israel"

“AWACS – Israel will become transparent."

“Sharon Military significance of sophisticated weapons"

“Pres Bring Saudi around to be on our side & in favor of peace AWAC’S in ’75"

“Haig Defends AWAC’S & how it won’t threaten Israel”

 

In the summer of 1981, Israeli warplanes struck at the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) at its bases in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 300 and injuring 800 civilians. The PLO retaliated with rocket attacks on Israel, killing six and wounding 54. Despite the active military actions, U.S. Special Envoy Philip Habib managed to negotiate a cease-fire along the Israel-Lebanon border in early August.

On September 9 and 10, 1981, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin visited with U.S. President Ronald Reagan for a series of meetings at the White House. Habib was present in at least some of these meetings and took these notes of a high-level meeting on September 9.

In the joint departure remarks on September 10, Prime Minister Begin said, “We drew a distinction, a clear distinction, between problems of defending our country when it becomes necessary, and the community of moral values and of direct interest between the United States and Israel as far as the threat to freedom of many nations in the Middle East and elsewhere is concerned."

Early in his Presidency, Ronald Reagan had announced plans to sell five Airborne Warning and Control System surveillance planes (AWACS) to Saudi Arabia in the largest foreign arms sale in American history. Unlike ground-based radar systems, the AWACS could detect aircraft flying at any altitude over any terrain. Many Americans and the State of Israel objected to the sale, because it would negate the Israeli air force’s ability to launch a surprise first strike against threats from other nations. Prime Minister Begin expressed “profound regret and unreserved opposition” to the sale. Despite initial opposition, the Senate narrowly approved the AWACS sale on October 28, 1981, just six weeks after this visit.

 

Philip C. Habib (1920-1992) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in a Jewish neighborhood by Lebanese Maronite Catholic parents. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1942 with a degree in forestry. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and rose to the rank of captain. After the war, he earned a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1952. He also took the Foreign Service examination and began a career with the United States Foreign Service in 1949. After service in Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and South Vietnam, Habib served as chief of staff for the U.S. delegation to the Paris Peace Talks from 1968 to 1971. He served as Ambassador to South Korea from 1971 to 1974. He then served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Public Affairs from 1974 to 1976 and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 1976 to 1978, when a heart attack forced his resignation. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan called Habib out of retirement to serve as special envoy to the Middle East, where he negotiated a peace that allowed the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to evacuate from the city of Beirut, which Israel had besieged. In 1986, Reagan sent Habib to the Philippines to convince Ferdinand Marcos to step down, and then to Central America to negotiate regarding conflict in Nicaragua. Habib supported Costa Rican president Óscar Arias’s peace plan focused on democratization, but Reagan refused to let him meet with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, and Habib resigned. Habib died while on vacation in France, and the New York Times described him as “the outstanding professional diplomat of his generation in the United States.”

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 5, 2019 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000