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But Washington's optimism soon turned to gloom. Just after 9 a.m. Reagan received his first detailed briefing from National Security Adviser Richard Allen. As Allen described the attack, Reagan mumbled repeatedly, "Good Lord, good Lord." At 11:15 a.m. the White House Situation Room confirmed that Sadat was dead. On Capitol Hill, Vice President George Bush was informed of the tragic news in a phone call from his chief of staff. Bush promptly relayed word to Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, who announced Sadat's passing to the Senate. The White House, however, quickly disowned the statement and refused to confirm or deny the Egyptian leader's death until Cairo had released an official declaration nearly three hours later.
In Tel Aviv, Egypt's Ambassador to Israel, Sa'ad Mortada, was host at an early afternoon reception at his modern residence north of the city to celebrate his country's "victory" in the 1973 war. It was hardly a popular party, understandably, and not one Israeli Cabinet minister was present, but the ambience was congenial as the guests—a sprinkling of ambassadors, some journalists, a handful of academics—sipped drinks on the patio. Then U.S. Ambassador Samuel Lewis arrived and took Mortada away from the reception line.
As they huddled in serious conversation, Mortada's face went white. Soon others learned that something terrible had occurred in Cairo and scurried to back rooms to hover around radios. By then, Radio Cairo was broadcasting only music.
In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Menachem Begin was taking the eight-minute ride in his official car from his office to his home in the city's Rehavia section to have lunch. It was the day before the eve of Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, and Begin was planning to take the afternoon off to prepare for the holiday. As he heard the news over the car's communications radio, Begin was "absolutely stunned," in the words of a senior aide.
Once the Prime Minister arrived at his house, he tuned in the Voice of Israel and fielded phone calls keeping him abreast of developments in Cairo. Jimmy Carter called from Plains to tell Begin that Sadat was only slightly injured. The two men expressed mutual hopes for his swift recovery. A short time later, the first reports appeared on U.S. television networks announcing Sadat's death. Begin at first refused to believe the news. "You heard ABC," he told an aide. "ABC didn't say he died." When the truth finally sank in, Begin slumped disconsolately in his library armchair, reflecting on the special moments he had shared with Sadat.