On Thursday, 17 November 1977, U.S. Ambassador Lewis informed Prime Minister Begin that President Sadat wanted to start his visit on Saturday, after the end of the Sabbath. Shortly after the Sadat acceptance of Mr. Begin's invitation was received, the Prime Minister appeared before the Israeli and foreign media at his office. He read the following statement and answered a number of questions:
Yesterday morning I received the first announcement, from the American Ambassador to Israel, my friend Mr. Lewis, that President Sadat might possibly want to arrive here on Saturday evening. For understandable reasons, we had to keep this an absolute secret for 24 hours - and we succeeded in this - because it was not yet clear whether the news would become fact.
In the evening I was asked by the American Ambassador, on behalf of Egyptian Vice-President Moubarak whether, if President Sadat should decide to come on Saturday evening, what time he might and should come so the Sabbath would not be desecrated, and I requested that he be told that between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M. would be a fitting time: So that there would be at least two hours to get to the airport from all corners of the country, without any desecration of the Sabbath. And, if I might add, without any need for Poalei Agudat Yisrael to table in the Knesset a motion of non-confidence because of President Sadat's visit. Everything will take place after the end of the Sabbath.
During the day we received further announcements, and this afternoon the information was in fact received that the President of Egypt would like to come here on Saturday evening, that is, the day after tomorrow. He will be arriving between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M.
Tomorrow morning a plane from Egypt will arrive here, with President Sadat's Chef de Bureau and several dozen Egyptians. They will of course be received by us as guests, and they will bring us the music to the Egyptian national anthem as well as Egyptian flags - two very desirable aims.
President Sadat will stay at the King David hotel. He will be with us for two nights, until Monday morning.
On Sunday morning, President Sadat wishes to worship at the Al Aqsa Mosque. We shall of course make all the necessary preparations to enable him to pray there, at this holy place to Islam. After he attends the service, I should like him to accompany me on a visit to "Yad Vashem" (Holocaust memorial), but he has not yet received this suggestion, he will hear it from me on Saturday evening. I hope he accepts the idea, but in the end it is up to him.
After the prayer service the President of Egypt has proposed holding talks with me, and I imagine that there will be friends of his and friends of mine at these talks. The composition of the delegations has not yet been determined.
On Sunday afternoon the Knesset will be convened in special session, at 4 or 5 P.M. and President Sadat will deliver his address from the Knesset rostrum. After he concludes, I shall deliver a speech. We do not yet know in what language the speeches will be made, if he speaks in Arabic I will speak in Hebrew, and if he speaks in English, so will I.
After the special Knesset session, we are planning for a possible festive dinner, though this is not yet final: It depends on our guest's agreement, and there might be more talks.
Upon concluding his statement the Prime Minister was asked several questions by reporters:
Q. What do you think will be achieved by the visit to Israel of President Sadat?
A. The very fact of the visit is important. In the first place, this is the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel that an Arab ruler - the President of Egypt - is visiting our country, will come to Jerusalem. Secondly, he will address the Knesset: That is something rare. I hope he will invite me to come to Cairo, and that I will soon make a visit to Cairo, where I, too, will no doubt address the Egyptian parliament, and we shall continue our dialogue. We will be holding important talks. Of course, we will first listen: It is the duty of the hosts to let the guest have his say, and then we shall reply. I hope that this will constitute the start of serious negotiations for the establishment of peace in the Middle East.
Q. Mr. Begin, is there any tendency on Israel's part to sign a separate peace agreement with Egypt?
A. If President Sadat puts forth a peace agreement and we agree to the conditions, certainly we would sign a peace treaty, but you used the word "separate". And I should at once like to comment: Ever since I invited President Sadat, rumor has been rife throughout the Middle East to the effect that there is some sort of Israeli intention to drive a wedge between the Arab states, on the basis of the ancient Roman concept of "divide and rule". We do not want to divide. We do not want to rule. We are a small country seeking peace: True peace, with true security, and we have no intention of causing division between the Arab states. We want peace: In the South, the East and the North, in all sectors. That is the reason that in my Knesset statement on Tuesday I invited President Assad of Syria and King Hussein and also President Sarkis of Lebanon. I hope we shall meet with them too, whether in Jerusalem or in their countries or at a neutral site. But certainly we would be happy to sign a peace treaty with all our neighbours together or with each of them.
Q. Are there any Israeli conditions whatsoever in anticipation of the talks with President Sadat?
A. There are no prior conditions, either of Egypt or of Israel, in anticipation of this meeting. I should like to explain what are prior conditions: For example, several months ago President Sadat said that, to get a meeting with him, I would have to inform him of a commitment to withdraw to the lines of 4 June 1967. I would not give such a commitment, nor did I. Now he is coming here without that prior condition.
Thus, he makes no prior conditions. He will present his stand: We are cognizant of it, and our position vis-a-vis his position is also known to ourselves and to him. Both sides will put forth their positions. There are fundamental differences of opinion between us - but we shall begin to talk of peace.
Nor are we putting forth prior conditions, for example: It is known that there is general national agreement that this Jerusalem in which we are now standing must be unified, one city, the Eternal Capital of Israel. That is our position and I shall so inform President Sadat when he comes. But we did not put forth as a condition his prior agreement to accept our stand vis-a-vis Jerusalem, before we agreed to receive him in Jerusalem, or before we agreed to meet in Geneva. There are no prior conditions, either on the part of Egypt or on the part of Israel, in anticipation of this meeting, and I hope the same will hold true for other meetings. Rather, each side presents his positions, and that is how negotiations for peace are conducted.
Q. How will this affect the Geneva Conference?
A. There is no connection. We are for the Geneva Conference, if agreement is reached on procedure as regards that peace conference, with all the parties, we shall willingly participate in the Geneva Conference.