Edward Sanders, a prominent Los Angeles lawyer who was senior advisor to President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance on Jewish affairs and other matters for the past 15 months, is leaving that post to return to his previous status as consultant to the President in the same area.
Sanders disclosed this to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today following a 45-minute meeting with the President. It has not yet been determined whether a successor will be named. Sanders resigned as president of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in 1976 to assist Carter in his election campaign.
The importance that the President placed in him was indicated when offices were set up for Sanders at both the White House and State Department. He accompanied the President at some of his most important meetings on Middle Eastern affairs, including Carter’s trip to Cairo and Jerusalem last March which resulted in the signing of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. He also attended the negotiating sessions at Camp David in September, 1978.
Sanders told the JTA that he believed he will be “more effective in the coming months” by returning to his previous position as a consultant because it will allow him “a lot more flexibility” than as a full-time government employe. “I have nothing but affirmative feelings for President Carter and I continue to believe in him for his leadership for the U.S. and for the good of Israel,” Sanders said.
NOT LEAVING THE PRESIDENT
He said “I will do all I can to help him but being in government inhibits me more than anything else. I am not leaving the President. This is not any kind of goodbye. This is only a change in status. I still am going to be close to the Administration and to the President. I have only affirmative feelings for them and they, I believe, for me,” he said.
Sanders told the JTA that he will remain in Washington “for a couple more months” and indicated that he would be speaking on behalf of the President. But, he said, his future is “all in formative stages.” He indicated that his change in status would take effect some time next month.
During his 15 months as Presidential advisor, Sanders attended numerous Jewish community events and was frequently visited by Jewish leaders. His departure from the White House staff follows by less than a month the resignation of Robert Lipshutz as the President’s Counsel. Lipshutz had also served as the White House senior liaison to the Jewish community. He has returned to Atlanta where he will assist the President on a library project.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
