PRIME MINISTER BEGIN, MRS. BEGIN, DEAR FRIENDS, ONCE AGAIN WE MEET IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF AMITY AND FRIENDSHIP. ONCE AGAIN, WE LAY A NEW DRICK ON THE FOUNDATION OF PEACE. ONCE AGAIN, WE SEE A SMILE ON EVERY FACE AND FIND JOY IN EVERY HEART. THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF PEACE. THIS IS THE ONLY ROAD TO THE FUTURE.

WE ARE DETERMINED TO TAKE THAT ROAD NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLES MIGHT BE. WE MADE A FIRM COMMITMENT TO OUR PEOPLES AND ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD TO PURSUE THE NOBLE GOAL OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION. THIS IS NOT MERELY A LINE OF POLICY. IT IS A SACRED MISSION THAT STARTED THE DAY I VISITED JERUSALEM. IT IS AN IRREVERSIBLE STREAM WHICH IS ENGRAVED IN THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL EVERYWHERE;
TO BE SURE, THAT ROAD IS NOT FULL OF ROSES. IT IS AN UPHILL STRUGGLE AGAINST FORMIDABLE ODDS. BUT SO WAS THE ROAD OF THE PROPHETS AND GREAT REFORMERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. LET US DERIVE FROM THEIR SHINING RECORD THE WISDOM AND VISION NECESSARY TO FIND OUR WAY. LET US VOW TO OVERCOME ALL OBSTACLES AND REMOVE ALL BARRIERS. WE HAVE EFFECTIVELY CONFRONTED MANY DIFFICULTIES IN THE PAST. THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CANNOT DO THE SAME IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. A HUMANE AND THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM CAN PERFORM MIRACLES. RECONCILIATION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS THE SHORTEST OUT TO A NEW ERA OF PEACE AND HAPPINESS. WE SHARE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SET THAT PROCESS IN MOTION. YOU HAVE YOUR LEGITIMATE CONCERN. SIMILARLY, THEY HAVE THEIR LEGITIMATE RIGHTS AND ASPIRATIONS. WE WANT THESE ENDS TO MEET. TOOK A MOMENTOUS DECISION TO BRING PEACE, YES, A GENERAL, COMPREHENSIVE PEACE SETTLEMENT, TO THE WAR-TORN MIDDLE EAST. IT IS A GOOD, GOD-BLESSED DECISION. NO WORDS OF WRATHFUL, ARTIFICIAL CONDEMNATION CAN CHANGE ITS REAL NATURE. WE SHALL NOT BE DISCOURAGED; WE SHALL PROCEED WITH OUR EFFORTS. WE SIGNED??? INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENT, A PEACE TREATY. WE WILL CARRY IT OUT ??? IN COOPERATION, IN UNDERSTANDING, IN FRIENDSHIP, FOR THE ??? ES AND OF THE REGION AND OF THE WORLD.

AT CAMP DAVID WE ??? A SECOND AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE FULL AUTONOMY FOR THE PALESTINIAN ARABS IN JUDEA, SAMARIA AND THE GAZA DISTRICT. IT IS ALSO A GOOD, POSITIVE, PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT, TO WHICH WE SHOULD BE FAITHFUL. IN THIS AGREEMENT, THERE ARE CONSTRUCTIVE CLARIFIES, NOT WHAT SOME CALL AMBIGUITIES. IF WE BASE THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN OUR COMPETENT TEAMS HEADED BY PRIME MINISTER DR. KHALIL AND INTERIOR MINISTER DR. BURG ON THE CLEAR STIPULATIONS OF THE CAMP DAVID AGREEMENT, WE CAN, ADS WE E??? WROTE TO PRESIDENT CARTER, DURING A YEAR, REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES AND SET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN NATIONS CAN BE ACHIEVED AND HOW THEY CAN LIVE TOGETHER IN PEACE, IN SECURITY, IN HUMAN DIGNITY, IN COMMON ADVANCEMENT. ON THIS ISSUE, TOO, LET US NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVISTS, TO THOSE WHO CONDEMN AGREEMENT INSTEAD OF WAR AND LET US PROCEED WITH OUR EFFORTS IN COMPLETE FAITHFULNESS TO WHAT WE AGREED UPON AND SIGNED. THE TIME WILL COME WHEN OTHERS WILL SEE THE JUSTICE OF OUR INTENTIONS AND ACTIONS.

I RAISE MY GLASS TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT, TO ALL OUR GUESTS, TO PEACE, TO OUR FRIENDSHIP, TO THE COOPERATION, PROSPERITY AND HAPPINESS OF OUR TWO ANCIENT NATIONS.

MR. PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT, MRS. SADAT, MEMBERS OF THE EGYPTIAN AND ISRAELI CABINETS, MR. SPEAKER OF THE KNESSET, OUR PARLIAMENTARY COLLEAGUES, DEAR FRIENDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IN EXTENDING A HEARTFELT WELCOME TO MY DEAR FRIEND PRESIDENT SADAT, TO HIS GRACIOUS LADY, TO THEIR LOVELY DAUGHTER, TO ALL OUR EGYPTIAN FRIENDS, AMY I SAY THAT THIS VISIT TO OUR BEAUTIFUL, ANCIENT AND REBUILT CITY AND HARBOUR OF HAIFA IS A NOBLE RESPONSE BY THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ENTOURAGE TO MY VISIT TO ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL AND ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN PORT AND CITY - FAMOUS ALEXANDRIA. THESE MUTUAL VISITS, PAID IN THE SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING AND FRIENDSHIP, CONTINUE TO MAKE THE PEACE WE CONCLUDED A LIVING REALITY. WE ALL HOPE THAT SO IT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.

ADMITTEDLY, IT IS AN UNUSUAL TIME, CHARACTERIZED BY A PARADOX. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PEACE IS BEING ATTACKED. USUALLY, AND IN OTHER TIMES, WAR WAS BEING CONDEMNED AS A TRAGIC , HORRIFYING PHENOMENON, CAUSING UNSPEAKABLE SUFFERING TO HUMAN BEINGS, ORPHANING OF CHILDREN, BEREAVEMENT OF FAMILIES, DESTRUCTION OF MORAL AND OTHER VALUES. WAR WAS ALWAYS DEEMED TO BE A DISASTER TO ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN IT AND TO OTHERS AS WELL. THERE WAS EVEN A BRAVE, ALAS, A FRUITLESS ATTEMPT BY BRIAND AND KELLOG TO OUTLAW WAR FOREVER AS AN INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POLICY.

NOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING BEFORE OUR EYES? NOW PEACE NOT WAR IS CONDEMNED, IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HALLS, BY OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUES, BY VARIOUS SPOKESMAN. THE OBJECT OF ALL THESE NEGATIVE STATEMENTS IS THE PEACE TREATY EGYPT AND ISRAEL HAVE CONCLUDED, SIGNED AND RATIFIED AND DULY BROUGHT INTO EFFECT. CONSIDER, WHAT DID THESE NATIONS DO? THEY PUT AN END TO THE STATE OF WAR THAT LASTED FOR 31 YEARS; THEY PLEDGED NOT TO RAISE ARMS AGAINST EACH OTHER, TO COOPERATE IN FRIENDSHIP WITH EACH OTHER IN ALL SPHERES OF HUMAN INTEREST AND ACTIVITY. WHAT A DAMAGING ACTION! WHAT A HORRIBLE NEW REALITY? THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST AMAZING PARADOX OF OUR DAYS. WHAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRAISEWORTHY CAUSE FOR JOY AND REJOICING HAS BECOME, IN CERTAIN CIRCLES, A CAUSE FOR ALARM. I BELIEVE, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT OUR ANSWER TO ALL THIS IS SIMPLE: WE ARE PATIENT. WE DID OUR DUTY. OUR NATIONS AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.