While the autonomy talks have reached an impasse, Israel was scrupulously carrying out its obligations under the peace treaty. The Israeli army was gradually moving units, bases and installations from the Sinai, and in many cases, territory was being handed over to Egypt well ahead of schedule. In the following statement, Mr. Begin noted with satisfaction the progress made in the past year, and marked the presence of an Egyptian ambassador in Israel, and an Israeli one in Egypt.
One year has passed since the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. That day was a fundamental turning-point - a historic one, it can be said without hesitation in the annals of the two nations. For over thirty years a state of war existed between them. They waged five bloody wars. A year ago, we did not sign one more agreement on a ceasefire, or an armistice, or an interim accord, while at the same time the state of war remained intact, leaving a permanent opening for its activation, for attack, for bloodshed, for creating orphans, for bereavement. This time we put an end to the state of war. We signed a permanent peace, and we said to one another: We shall never again employ our weapons, one nation against its neighbor.
Yes, human beings grow used to any situation that is created, and today we have already grown accustomed to the fact - which seems so simple - that there is a Egyptian ambassador in Israel and an Israeli ambassador in Egypt. But this is not the way things shaped up just three years ago. Who then believed in this? Many dreamed of the day when there would be normal relations between ourselves and our neighbors; one year ago, we established them with the largest of the Arab states. I shall not deny, citizens of Israel, -that for the sake of this goal we made many sacrifices, even painful ones. But we preferred the sacrifices for the sake of peace to the victims of war.
The forging of peace was the duty of a generation that faced so many trials, before the establishment of the state, and after the renewal of our independence. That duty we fulfilled.
Not all of our problems have been solved; the road is still long before us. We are conducting negotiations on the introduction of autonomy arrangements for the Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The nation's security is always before our eyes. The international and regional situation is difficult and complex, and there are those who are seeking to exploit it against us and at our expense, in order to curry favor with an aggressive and extortionist element. Not to acquiesce in demands such as these - this is a national commandment of supreme importance.
We must reiterate that we sincerely desire to fulfill what we undertook also in the second part of the Camp David accords - but we shall always bear in mind, and remind others, that these agreements contain no arrangement liable to lead to the establishment of a so-called Palestinian state, or even to create a corridor leading to its establishment. Autonomy for our Arab neighbors; security for ourselves; a life together of peace and understanding in Eretz-Israel - this is the content and this is the meaning of the agreements we signed, and which we are ready and willing to honor in practice.
But even as we see the difficulties ahead of us, we are witness that the cardinal object was attained one year ago, when representatives of Egypt and Israel and the United States of America placed their signatures on a vastly important international document
namely, the peace treaty. From it are growing, in these very days, additional agreements which are an integral part of the peaceful relations between the countries.
It must be admitted also that economic difficulties are still our lot, but there is a basis for hope that we shall overcome them, too.
Let us, then, show that we value the turning-point which occurred in the life and history of our nation, in connection with this event. For, truly, peace is the beauty of life, and of it we dreamed all our days.
A happy festival to the whole House of Israel!