Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 482 › Conversation 482-025

Nixon & Haig on Middle East Diplomacy and Suez Canal

Monday, April 19, 1971 · 6:09 PM–6:11 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation482-025 on Tape 482 (tape position 04:14:51–04:17:38)StartMonday, April 19, 1971 at 6:09 PMEndMonday, April 19, 1971 at 6:11 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 482-025 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discussed the Israeli proposal for a Suez Canal withdrawal, a diplomatic development encouraged by Henry Kissinger to secure a temporary period of stability in the Middle East. Haig expressed concern that the State Department might react negatively to the proposal's initial toughness, potentially leading to a premature rejection by the Egyptians. They concluded that the administration should allow the diplomatic process to play out for now, with the President reserving potential intervention with Israeli leadership for a later stage.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hi, President.

Hi.

Senator Hillender on the Soviet movie.

The Secretary of State is probably going to call you in a few minutes, if he hasn't already, about the Israeli response on the drawback from the canal proposal.

They have finally submitted their proposal in Israel, and it's been reported by cable.

And I just wanted to be sure that you were aware

of how this thing has been postured.

This was something that we saw some time ago as a possibility for bloodletting and easing the situation which was developing around the State Department position.

And it's been encouraged by Henry, and they've come in with this proposal now, which will provide the means of buying two or three years of time

the middle east if it's acceptable to the egyptians now the first position that the israelis are coming in with is fairly tough although it's a reasonable position it's tough and there's a very good chance that as the state department gives it to the egyptians that they will reject it for particular details the way we foresee this is that ultimately it'll be a necessity for

your intervention with the Israelis to push them back to an acceptable position.

And so what Henry's concerned about is that the Secretary may be enthusiastic about it, but he may be a little bit disturbed that it's a tough position.

And we are hoping that what you want me to say can play it out.

Just let them play it out.

Go ahead.

Yes, sir.

Well, his proposal will be to give it to the Egyptians and see how... Oh, yeah, I see.

Fine.

And then let me...

Ultimately, after the detention's bill, and then you and...

Yes, I agree.

Be your shell.

All right.

NARA Description

On April 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:09 pm to 6:11 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 482-025 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 482-25

Date: April 19, 1971
Time: 6:09 pm - 6:11 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr..

     Haig's meeting with Allen J. Ellender
          -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]

     Israeli-Egyptian negotiations
           -William P. Rogers
           -Suez Canal
                 -Israeli withdrawal
           -State Department position
           -Henry A. Kissinger
           -Israeli position
           -State Department
           -Possible Egyptian response
           -President's possible role
           -Israel
           -Kissinger
           -Rogers
           -President's possible position
           -Egyptians

Haig left at 6:11 pm.

Also recorded on April 19, 1971

482-023 4:54 PM · 1 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:54 pm.
054-001 5:05 PM · 57 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the executive council of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades, including Charles D. Aquandro, Frank A. Bonadio, Harold J. Buoy, Edward F. Carlough, Peter Fosco, Robert A. Georgine, Maurice A. Hutcheson, Albert E. Hutchinson, John H. ("Jack") Lyons, Thomas F. Murphy, William Peitler, Charles H. Pillard, Joseph T. Power, S. Frank Raftery, Joseph P. Ricciarelli, Peter T. Shoeman, Louis Sherman, Hunter P. Wharton, Richard W. Williams, James D. Hodgson, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Henry A. Kissinger, Charles W. Colson, the White House photographers, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 5:05 pm to 6:03 pm.
482-026 6:12 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:12 pm.
482-027 6:12 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:12 pm to 6:32 pm.
002-003 6:32 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:32 pm and 6:50 pm.
482-028 6:32 PM · 47 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:32 pm and 9:24 pm.
002-004 6:50 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 6:50 pm to 6:56 pm.
002-005 6:56 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:56 pm and 7:24 pm.

All 27 conversations from April 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 482-025, April 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/482-025 (accessed October 3, 2026).