PEACE IN THE MAKING

THE MENACHEM BEGIN-ANWAR EL-SADAT PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE EDITED BY HARRY HURWITZ AND YISRAEL MEDAD

Additional Research and Annotations: Yisrael Medad and Kezia Raffel Pride

Published by Gefen Publishing House in cooperation with the Menachem Begin Heritage Center ,

publishing house iw>moreil)ra JERUSALEM • NEW YORK nunin IDTD I •J3 D n ] a MENACHEM BEGIN HERITAGE CENTER CONTENTS

Foreword xi Preface xv Introduction by Ambassador Yehuda Avner xvii Biographical Sketch of Menachem Begin xxi Biographical Sketch of Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat xxiii Overview of the Israel-Egypt Peace Process A Bit of History xxv Sadat's Announcement xxvi Sadat's Visit to Jerusalem xxvii The Camp David Peace Talks xxviii The Peace Treaty xxxi Post-Treaty Events xxxii

THE CORRESPONDENCE, SPEECHES AND INTERVIEWS Parti First Overtures: The Prelude to and the Visit in Jerusalem May-November 1977 Prime Minister Begins First Speech to the 3 President Sadat's Address to the Egyptian Parliament 4 Begin Broadcasts Directly to the Egyptian People 7 A Virtual "Joint" Interview with Walter Cronkite 9 Begins Official Invitation 12 ...And Sadat's Acceptance 13 Sadat Addresses the Knesset in Jerusalem 15 Begin Addresses the Knesset after Sadat 28 Joint Press Conference in Jerusalem 37

vn Viii PEACE IN THE MAKING

Part 2 Post-Visit Doldrums December 1977-August 1978 The Ismailia Summit 51 Sadat's Statement 51 Begins Statement 52 An Exchange of Letters 62

Part 3 From Camp David to the White House Lawn September 1978-March 1979 Speeches at the Signing of the Camp David Agreements 77 President Carter 78 President Sadat 80 Prime Minister Begin 81 Begin Addresses Jewish Leaders in New York 83 An Israeli Government Communique 92 An Exchange of Letters 93 The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony 108 Menachem Begins Nobel Lecture 109 Anwar el-Sadat's Nobel Lecture 114 Begin Addresses the Knesset on the Peace Treaty 117 Signing the Peace Treaty on the White House Lawn 126 President Carter 126 President Sadat 127 Prime Minister Begin 128 Contents ix

Part 4 Constructing Peace April 1979-April 1982 Sadat Speaks in Beersheba 143 Sadat Receives an Honorary Degree 146 President Sadat 146 Prime Minister Begin 1 147 Press Conference on Returning from Alexandria 150 Sadat Speaks upon Arrival at Haifa Port 152 ...And at a Dinner in His Honor 153 Joint Press Conference in Haifa 154 Prime Minister Begins Opening Remarks 154 President Sadat's Opening Remarks 155 A Dinner Party in Haifa 157 Prime Minister Begins Speech 157 President Sadats Speech 158 President Sadat Speaks to Israeli Journalists 160 Speeches on Sadat's Departure from Haifa 165 Prime Minister Begin 165 President Sadat 166 The Second Anniversary of Sadat's Trip to Jerusalem 167 Press Conference in Aswan 169 President Sadat 169 Prime Minister Begin 169 Excerpts of the Questions from the Press 171 Letters after Aswan 172 Letters ahead of the Ninth Round of Autonomy Talks 179 Letters Following Begins Hospitalization 186 Talks with US Special Envoy Sol Linowitz 228 Birthday Wishes 229 The Two-Year Anniversary of the Treaty 230 The Lebanon Situation 231 Sharm el-Sheikh Press Conference 233 Opening Statement by Prime Minister Menachem Begin 234 Excerpts from the Press Conference 234 The Bombing of the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor 240 An Exchange of Friendly Greetings 242 The Last Letter 243 Final Respects 244 X PEACE IN THE MAKING

Photo Essay 247 ^ Personalities 267

Appendices Appendix 1: Speeches in the Knesset Plenum 269 Appendix 2: Text of Camp David Accords - September 17,1978 289 Appendix 3: Text of the Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt - March 26,1979 313 Appendix 4: Israeli Laws Referenced in the Correspondence 345

Sources/Bibliography 347