Addressing the Herut Party Central Committee meeting in Tel Aviv, the Prime Minister referred to a campaign of vilification conducted against him by the leaders of Egypt, but proclaimed that he will not respond so that he will not be accused of endangering the forthcoming London Conference. Excerpts:
"...We must now conduct the struggle for our peace plan with insistence and devotion accepted and implemented. It will open up prospects for peace and security and the settlement of Eretz Israel.
The leaders of Egypt do not cease defaming me. This time, unlike my habit, I shall turn a deaf ear. This week, we shall witness the London conference. I assume that, should I respond to the defamations, someone will take that up, and the conference will be cancelled.
The Israel Government strives for normalization of the very negotiations for peace as outlined in the resolutions approved by the Cabinet today.
Although the recently submitted Egyptian declaration is not acceptable we say: We are yearning for peace. We stretched out our hand for peace already in the 'forties, when our blood was shed like water.
In the world, a campaign is being waged for my resignation. I am being termed "An obstacle to peace". To my mind, I am indeed an obstacle: An obstacle against capitulation, together with my colleagues in the Government, the Knesset, the faction and the movement.
In its first year, the Government has done the people proud: There is no unemployment but free secondary education, foreign currency control has been abolished. Like the Government, the representatives of nations do not want a Palestinian state, and today statesmen promise us Israeli military forces in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Ezer Weizman paid an important visit to Salzburg. We received proposals and we shall discuss them at next week's Cabinet session.