Since the breakdown of the Jerusalem talks, the Egyptian press engaged in a major campaign of vilification of Israel, its leaders and the Jewish people. On 21 January, President Sadat addressed the Egyptian People's Assembly and while he said that he was leaving the door open for renewed peace talks, he demanded that Israel accept the Egyptian position of Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders and the rights of Palestinians to self-determination before the talks could continue. The next day the Israel government met and decided to postpone the departure of the delegation for the talks of the Military Committee. Text:
At the Ismailiya conference an agreement was reached between the President of Egypt and the Prime Minister of Israelto constitute a Military and a Political committee in Cairo and in Jerusalem for the continuation of the negotiations between the two countries. Since that conference and before the negotiations started within the framework of the Political Committee in Jerusalem a campaign of grave vilification against the State and the government of Israel was launched in Egypt. Egyptian newspapers even used notorious anti-semitic expressions. Whilst the political committee was deliberating and making progress towards an agreement on a joint declaration of principles, President Sadat suddenly decided to recall the Egyptian delegation to Cairo. Thus were disrupted the negotiations in the Political Committee in which the Secretary of State of the United States participated too.
Before the Egyptian People's Assembly, President Sadat made an extremist aggressive speech and addressed to Israel ultimative demands that are totally unacceptable to Israel.
Facing this situation, the government of Israel decided to postpone the date of departure of the Israeli delegation to the discussions of the Military Committee in Cairo. The government of Israel will in the near future discuss again the issue of the departure of the Israeli delegation to the Military Committee in Cairo.
We do hope that in the coming days the Egyptian government will act to prevent repetition of statements injurious to the dignity of the Jewish people and the Jewish state, thus creating a suitable atmosphere for the calm conduct of negotiations in which Israel continues to be interested.
The Prime Minister will tomorrow make a statement to the Knesset in which he will respond to President Sadat's speech.