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Sadat was impatient with the weakness of others and frequently derided some of his fellow leaders in the Middle East, but at least he respected Begin's strength and courage. Nevertheless, Sadat also seemed somewhat impatient with Begin, distrustful of him. Determined to succeed, he was therefore inclined to form a partnership with me in opposition to Begin. His first preference was obviously a settlement; his second, an agreement with me that would be so good for Israel that Begin would be condemned if he rejected it.
About 2:30 p.m., Rosalynn and I walked up to the helicopter landing pad to welcome Sadat. When he and I sat on the terrace behind my cabin, Aspen, he did not waste any time. He emphasized that he was eager to conclude a total settlement of the issues, and not merely establish procedures for future negotiations. He was convinced that Begin did not want an agreement and would try to delay progress as much as possible. Sadat stated that he would back me in all things and that he had a comprehensive settlement plan "here in my pocket" He was prepared to be flexible on all issues except two: land and sovereignty.
He concurred with me that if Begin would negotiate in good faith, the agreement should include the establishment of diplomatic relations and the end of the economic boycott against Israel. He said that all Israelis must leave Egyptian territory and that any agreement had to provide for the Palestinians, for the West Bank and for future agreements between Israel and her other neighbors. The details could be worked out by me.
Then he stood up to leave. Sadat had suffered a mild heart attack a few years earlier and was careful about his health. He wanted to go to bed and to meet with me the next morning. I said I would delay suggesting my own proposals until he and Begin had a chance to explore their differences. Sadat replied, "I will try to protect you by putting forward good proposals, and make it unnecessary for any U.S. proposals to be offered."
Two hours later, Begin landed on the mountaintop. I was pleased that his wife Aliza was scheduled to arrive in a few hours. The Begins always seemed very close, and I was sure Aliza would be as helpful to him during the coming days as Rosalynn would be to me.
At Aspen, Begin and I were both somewhat ill at ease. I had wanted to generate an atmosphere of informality, but in his attitude and words, Begin approached the initiation of talks in a very thorough and methodical way. He was concerned about the daily schedule, the procedures to be followed, the time and place of meetings, how a record would be kept, how many aides would be permitted on each side and so forth.
Begin too seemed to look on himself as a man of destiny, cast in a biblical role as one charged with the future of God's chosen people. A student of the Bible, he preferred to use biblical names for places and referred frequently to God's messages to Moses and other leaders of the Jews. A man of deep beliefs, he had during his entire adult life demonstrated his dedication to the establishment and preservation of his country, and I knew he deserved the respect he received from his