Thread by @Nadav_Eyal

1/Golda Meir and Joe Biden, the Israeli memo.
By far, the story Biden most frequantly tells about his relationship with Israel leadership is his first meeting with Golda as a young senator. Here's Biden describing the encounter and Golda's punch line
c-span.org/video/?c489877…

2/I've published this evening a classified memo documenting the meeting, made by a senior Israeli official present in the room. A fascinating meeting.
*Biden comes from Egypt, some 40 days before Saadat ordered a surprise attack which will become the Yom Kipur war. He tells

3/the Israeli PM that all the officials he met in Cairo assured him that they accept "Israel's military superiority". Of course, they lied (not his fault, of course. Israel was misled by its own intelligence community).
*American politics. Biden criticizes the Nixon admi'

4/for being "dragged by Israel". He says, according to this government memo, that there is no debate in the Senate about the ME because the Senators are "afraid" to say things that Jewish voters will dislike. (He SAYS THAT TO GOLDA)
*He criticizes the Israeli labor plarform

5/Arguing that its leading to a creeping annexation of the occupied territories.
*Considering Israel's military dominance, Biden suggests it will initiate a first step for peace by unilateral withdrawals. This will be done from areas with no strategic importance- not the Golan.

6/*Golda responds with a long speech about the history of the Zionist movement from its very establishment. The instability of Arab Regimes, the unfairness of SC decisions.
*Golda rejects Biden comments on the Labor platform, rejects his offers of unilateral withdrawal and

7/continues to argue that Israel can make no major mistakes considering the situation of the Jewish people after the Holocaust.
The official making the notes remarked that Biden was full of respect to the PM yet his "enthusiasm as he spoke"signaled his lack of experience in the

8/Diplomatic field.
REMARKS: Biden warning to the PM on the eve of the war that Israel must make some concessions is prophetic. Some historians argue that Golda's refusal to consider Egyptian diplomatic initiatives led to war. Biden's suggestion that Israel make unilateral

9/concessions is interesting. The only time Israel opted for such a move is in 2005 when Ariel Sharon as PM initiated Israel's withdreal from the Gaza strip. Much more to say.
Part of the original document.