Carter Says Sadat Wants to Continue the Peace Process

President Carter declared last night that Egyptian President Anwar Sadat has assured him that he wants to continue the Egyptian-Israeli peace process. The President said this reassurance was contained in a very important message from Sadat given him at the White House yesterday by Egyptian Vice President Hosni Mubarak.

Carter had declined to reveal the contents of the Sadat message when he spoke to reporters after his meeting with Mubarak in the morning. His disclosure was made before 1200 people attending an Israel Bonds dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel at which Lane Kirkland, president of the AFL-CIO, was presented the 1980 Golda Meir Leadership Award for “his many years of leadership, service and dedication” in support of Israel. Carter stressed that United States support for Israel was a “true partnership” not just a large country helping a smaller one. “I have been privileged as President to help in forging that true partnership between the United States and Israel, a partnership built not on the superiority of one of the partners, but on the common interest goals and values of both nations and peoples.”

Ephraim Evron, Israel’s Ambassador the U.S., presented the Golda Meir Award to Kirk land, saying it was “in recognition for his many years of devoted and unremitting effort to help realize Israel’s hope for a future of peace and economic security, and as a symbol of the American Labor movement’s unflagging support for Israel and a Jewish homeland which goes back 70 years.”

Thomas Donahue, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIQ and dinner general chairman, told the guests representing labor, industry, the Washington political community and the academic world, that $13.5 million it Israel Bonds were bought in honor of Kirkland. Carter, in his speech, congratulated Israel Bonds on its 30th anniversary and for having passed the $5 billion mark in Bonds sales.