ABSTRACT
The month of Ramadan had begun by the time Vance visited the area, arriving in Jerusalem on 5 August 1978, where he had private talks with Begin and his aides lasting two days. A Voice of America broadcast announced that it was being conjectured in Middle East circles that the United States was seeking to arrange a tripartite summit meeting with President Carter. The Voice of America broadcast added that Begin had announced that he was ready to study the proposal if it were put to him: according to Begin, Vance had not asked Israel, during his visit there, to modify its attitude to the Middle East problem in any way. The Egyptian President, Begin was reported to have said, had to agree to a tripartite meeting without preconditions.
