Speaking to the press the Prime Minister said that the Israeli peace plan has been described as fair by the leaders of the United States and Britain. Those who saw it felt it was a good base for negotiations with Egypt. Mr. Begin stressed the fact that the negotiations would be conducted between equals, without any threats or dictates. With him in the negotiating team were the Defence and Foreign Ministers, the Attorney General and senior aides. This marked the first time that an Israeli Prime Minister visited an Arab state openly for the purpose of negotiating a peace treaty. Text:
Good morning friends. The Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, the Defence Minister Ezer Weizman and our colleagues are setting out for Egypt, for Ismailiya, to meet the President of Egypt Anwar Sadat, and his advisers and helpers -our hearts filled with confidence and faith.
We are bringing with us an Israeli peace plan which has been described by all who have seen it as being fundamentally and in essence - fair. That is the evaluation of the President of the United States, the Vice-President of the U.S., U.S. President's National Security Adviser, our dear friend the Secretary of State, Mr. Vance, the distinguished and well-known Senators - Jackson, Javits, Stone and Humphrey, the House majority leader Wright, the former President of the U.S., Mr. Ford, the former Secretary of State Dr. Kissinger, many media personalities in the United States who influence its public opinion, the decisive majority of our brethren - the great Jewish community of the United States, of the British Prime Minister, Mr. Callaghan, and of the British Foreign Secretary Dr. Owen. All who have seen this programme evaluate it as a fair and good base for conducting negotiations for the signature of a peace treaty between ourselves and Egypt, and as a first step towards attaining an overall peace in the Middle East.
With a heart filled with faith - for this reason: We believe that this is the opportune moment for attaining peace in our region, in order to prevent wars, to avert suffering, mourning and bereavement among our two ancient peoples of great cultures, who have contributed so much to all of humanity.
Upon our departure for Egypt - we do not have the slightest vestige of a complex of grandeur. We respect the Egyptian people and great Arab people. We respect the distinguished President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, but nor do we have any vestige of an inferiority complex. We represent an ancient people that has seen a great deal, suffered a great deal, and fought a great deal for its right to return to the Land of Israel, the Land of our forefathers, to live in it as a free people throughout the generations.
Thus we are leaving for Egypt to conduct negotiations as between equals, for a peace treaty. There are no victors and there are no vanquished, there is no complex either of superiority or of inferiority, there are no threats and no dictates. We respect the principles in which President Sadat believes, and we expect him to respect the principles in which we believe. Only mutual respect for principles and the mutual desire to make peace can bring about peace.
I call upon you, people of Israel, to pray for the success of the mission and the path that we are about to tread for the sake of our people and our country, for our children and not only for this generation but also for the generations to come. "Shalom" and "Le'hitraot" tonight or tomorrow.