In view of the fact that Israel withdrew from El Arish nine months ahead of time, there was a feeling that normalization should get under way sooner than planned. The guiding principle of Israel was reciprocity and the steady development of ties. Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat proclaimed the borders opened on 27 May and symbolically inaugurated the air corridor between the two countries. Now it was the task of the Foreign Minister to work out the more detailed technical arrangements. This he did in his early June visit to Cairo. On the eve of his departure he made the following statement and answered some questions from the press. Excerpts:
Mr. Dayan: The main issue of my talks - and one which has to do with the normalization issue - is clarification of what Sadat said, namely that we would not wait until the famous nine months were up, but we would immediately open the borders. What is the meaning of this? Will there in fact be two-way tourism, will there be air traffic? The Lod-Cairo air route was symbolically inaugurated by the famous flight in which the Prime Minister and President Sadat took part, as well as others. But that flight does not mean that a commercial line is now opened, in which planes will come and go on a permanent basis: The air corridor must be determined technically, and it must be accorded international status. Most important, it must be agreed that various airlines will be able to use this route, and that an arrangement is worked out whereby Israeli and Egyptian citizens will be able to travel to each other's country. This with respect to the matter of open borders, as regards its main issue, of tourism, and the air corridor.
There are also more local questions, having to do with short-term matters: The link between El Arish and Gaza, relations concerning persons, goods and work. In the past some residents of El Arish worked in Israel, while Israeli fishermen fished in the Bardawil lagoon. The question is whether the border is to be blocked and closed to both sides, or whether an arrangement can be worked out whereby Israeli fishermen on the western side of the boundary -and I do not refer here to the international boundary, but to the interim line, the Ras Muhammad-El Arish line, which will be in effect until the final evacuation while workers from El Arish are employed in Israel, and what the attendant arrangements will be. Or will the line be a sealed one, so that Israelis cannot cross over to the western side and vice versa?
These are only examples. I do not intend to present here the detailed agenda. We have transmitted to the Egyptians our proposals for an agenda for the talks, which includes many topics, of which I have mentioned two only. In this visit I hope to arrive either at arrangements, or to come away with various proposals which will then be brought for cabinet approval - or the cabinet may refuse to accept the proposals. But the purpose of the visit is to clarify these matters...
Q: Do you think the Egyptians are in fact ready to open the borders immediately?
A: When we meet on Wednesday afternoon I'll tell you - that's why I'm going.
Q: What principles will Israel put forward to Egypt concerning the normalization process?
A. An principle, I can say that the arrangement must be based on reciprocity. Israel will not agree to a situation in which, say, workers from El Arish will be able to work in Israel - and Israel means Gaza also - while Israeli fishermen will not be able to cross the line to fish in the Bardawil lagoon. Either or: Either it's open to both sides or it's closed to both sides. The principle is reciprocity. Reciprocity does mean a mirror-like arrangement of one fisherman vs. one fisherman, worker vs. worker, but a principle: They should accede to matters which we have an interest in seeing done on the other side of the boundary, and vice versa - not necessarily workers vs. fisherman, or workers vs. workers, or vegetable garden vs. cultivation of land, but the principle that each side has the right to cross the boundary.
Q: Could a situation arise in which the Egyptians will make normalization contingent upon progress - as they see progress - in the autonomy talks?
A: That is out of the question. In all events, in my estimation it is impossible, and certainly at this stage it's not even possible technically. They themselves proposed that the first session of the autonomy talks be held on the tenth of this month, and they themselves not long ago approached us to expedite discussion of the practical issues having to do with implementation of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement. And now, too, they themselves have placed various items on the agenda of the coming two days. Not only have they not made these matters dependent on the content of the autonomy talks, they have not even made them dependent on some kind of correlation with respect to dates. As I said, the first session of the autonomy talks will take place on June 10th, at Alexandria. Had they wanted to make these matters interdependent, they would have said: 'We will not discuss normalization before we begin to discuss the autonomy plan'. But they did not do so - I speak now only of the technical aspect, all the more so where substance is concerned. I see no reason for apprehension, I see no possibility or any Egyptian interest in making implementation of the Israeli-Egyptian agreement as they wish.
Q: You have mentioned an air corridor only - will there be no talks of land traffic, whether by highway or by rail?
A: At the time, President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin discussed an air corridor only. This is also perhaps the most symbolic and most effective thing. Of course, it does not contradict and does not rule out travel by land. We will support this. It must be borne in mind, though, that land travel to a certain extent now involves passage through areas which are partially under IDF or Egyptian control, and where there is military traffic. But I believe that where Israel is concerned, none of this will prevent the opening of a land route also. But the fact is that the emphasis in the Sadat-Begin talks was on an air corridor, and most tourism is via the air. But you are absolutely right that with respect to tourism and the opening of borders - free movement from one country to another - this should also include land passage.