Correspondence from Chic Hecht to Phil Gramm (Washignton, D.C.) and George P. Shultz (Washington, D.C.), 1988

C H I C H E C H T N EVADA U N I T E D STATES SENATE WASHINGTON, D. C. 2 0 5 1 0 March 22, 1988 The Honorable Phil Gramm United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Phil: I want to thank you for joining with me in my letter to Secretary of State Shultz last week. Your support for a strong and free Israel is appreciated and I am confident our efforts will assure the future of America's most important Middle East ally. Thanks again. Best regards, i The Honorable George P. Shultz March 14, 1988 Page 2 Israel is a country surrounded by historically hostile forces ? many of which receive support and encouragement from the Soviet Union. Because of this, Israelis face constant danger which we Americans, accustomed to secure frontiers, cannot fully appreciate. The people of Israel, better than anyone else, understand their own security imperatives. They have elected their own leadership in whom they have vested the sole responsibility for deciding whether or when trading "land for peace" is consistent with Israel's safety. Finally, we hope you will make it clear to the Prime Minister that the nature of the U.S. relationship with Israel will not be affected by his response to any particular peace proposal. American support should not be used as a lever to force Israel's leaders to adopt policy which they see as dangerous to the national security of their country ? especially when such policy entails injecting the Soviet Union into the "peace process". Rather, our relationship is based on Israel's strategic, military, religious and cultural importance to the United States. Mr. Secretary, the various parties in the Middle East will come to a peaceful agreement only when the Arab countries are convinced of our unwavering support for Israel and its strategic imperatives, and only when each country involved sees such an agreement to be in its. own self interest. We are confident that with time and the efforts of the United States, such an agreement can be found. Sincerel ' ' CHIC HECHT ' . NEVADA COMMITTUS: BANKING, HOUSING, AND U R B A N AFFAIRS ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE mnitecl States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 20510 STATE OFFICES: CARSON CITY OFFICE: 3 0 8 NORTH CURAT STREET ( 7 0 2 ) 8 6 5 - 9 1 1 1 IAS VEGAS OFFICE: 3 0 0 U s VEGAS B I V O , SOUTH (702) 3 8 8 - 6 6 0 5 RENO OFFICE: 3 0 0 BOOTH STREET (702) 7 8 4 - 5 0 0 7 March 14, 1988 The Honorable George P. Shultz Secretary Department of State Washington, DC 20520 Dear Mr. Secretary: Peace and stability in the Middle East are vital to the United States Cor strategic, spiritual and cultural reasons. Your efforts to act as a mediator between Israel and her neighbors are to be commended. Israel is our most important ally in the Middle East. Her ties of friendship to the United States and her military strength makes Israel the chief deterrent to Soviet adventurism in the region. Beyond geopolitics, Israel is important to America by virtue of common cultural and religious values. We believe that Administration officials should refrain from public criticism of Prime Minister Shamir and his negotiating stance during his visit to Washington. In light of the volatile situation in Israel at this point in time, such officials must be most careful not to say anything which creates a risk of promoting additional violence or discord. Furthermore, such public criticism during the Prime Minister's visit might well be interpreted as an attempt to influence the domestic political situation in Israel. The people of Israel will be going to the polls sometime this year. Any official efforts to affect the election of another free nation would not be appropriate, and indeed,kcould be counter-productive. In addition, regardless of how any of us as individuals feel about the concept of "trading land for peace", we believe that it is the sovereign right of the State of Israel and its leaders alone to determine whether and when Israel shall choose to relinquish its land in exchange for agreements with neighboring countries. Honorable George P. Shultz March 14, 1988 Page Three