In this letter, the Prime Minister recalled the excitement of the Sadat visit to Israel, and the road both leaders and both countries have travelled since that historic visit. Text:
Jerusalem, November 18, 1979
Dear Friend,
Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the second anniversary of your historic visit to Jerusalem.
I shall always cherish the moment when I heard the statement you made before the Egyptian Peoples' Assembly declaring your readiness to come to Jerusalem and address the Knesset. Without hesitation I immediately extended to you a respectful and cordial invitation to visit our country and to speak freely to our people and the world from the rostrum of Israel's Parliament. Those were great days for all of us: They captured the attention of all nations and the feeling was abroad that something unusual was unfolding in the Middle East.
As I had assured you in my written invitation, the people of Israel did, indeed, receive you with high respect and warm cordiality. You met with my colleagues and with the representative of all our political parties and, in our own private conversation, we successfully paved the way for future contacts.
Both of us well recall the stations we subsequently passed: Ismailiya, Camp David, Washington, Cairo, El-Arish-Beersheba, Alexandria-Haifa. Admittedly, there were difficult hours along the way. But, ultimately, with the great contribution of our friend President Jimmy Carter, we reached the common ground and signed the Camp David framework for peace in its two parts and the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel which we all consider to be the first and decisive step towards a comprehensive and general peace settlement in the Middle East.
From the warmth of the receptions accorded to us in each others' countries and by virtue of the steps undertaken towards normalization we have learned to transform the treaty into a living reality of peace, friendship and cooperation. In stating this I cannot but make mention, with the deepest feeling, that meeting we witnessed together at EI-Arish between the soldiers, the war invalids of Egypt and Israel who said to each other and to us: "No more war." What a unique, moving scene that was.
We shall of course continue, my friend, with our peace efforts, faithfully carrying out the Camp David agreement including the full autonomy for the Palestinian Arabs, inhabitants of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza district. We will, I know, also continue to assist each other and prove to other nations, near and far, large and small, that we can live together in peace, in security, in cooperation and in mutual friendship.
It is in this spirit that I send to you on this memorable day my sincere congratulations and warmest best wishes.
Sincerely,
Menachem Begin