On 4 June Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat held a one day summit conference in Sharm el-Sheikh (Ophira). At its conclusion Mr. Begin said that "important agreements and serious solutions" had been achieved in their talks. Among the topics discussed was the situation in Lebanon and possible Syrian-Israel hostilities and their impact on the Israel-Egypt peace process. Both leaders confirmed their commitment to the Camp David Framework Agreements. Text of Mr. Begin's statement and excerpts from the press conference follow:
Opening Statement by Prime Minister Menachem Begin:
"Mr. President, members of the governments of Egypt and Israel, Ambassador of Israel to Egypt, ladies and gentlemen of the press: This is a welcome and a taking leave combined. I welcome the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, my friend, President Sadat, that he accepted my invitation, and now we say goodbye to each other, after we finish answering your questions, until we meet again, as we hope soon, in Alexandria. We had a talk which lasted for an hour and a half. We made important agreements, we reached serious solutions. We are not going today to disclose the contents of those solutions and agreements. And for that I have to apologize. You will have to remain patient: the problems and the solutions will develop, and become known in the process of their realization. However, I can say, that during those ninety minutes, we achieved much, the reason being, that we are friends, that we made peace, that we keep our mutual pledge never to raise arms against each other, that this is the quietest corner in the world, the Israeli and Egyptian border, and that we always speak with complete candor. Therefore, I can say with all humility, that this day, the fourth of June, 1981 will be noted as one of the good days in the lives of my friend President Sadat and in my life; and in the history of our nations. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen..."
Q: Mr. President, what's your attitude towards the Lebanese crisis, and did you find some common point of view on this issue with our Prime Minister?
Mr. Sadat: Well, as I have already stated before, the Lebanese problem is a tragedy, really a tragedy, and the way it started also is a tragedy, in '75. We have discussed this problem, Premier Begin and me, for sure, and I have expressed my ideas to him, like he said quite frankly, whenever we sit together, we are always frank, and candid
I think the whole tragedy started in '75 by President Assad. Now we are living the tragedy in the area, and mainly the Lebanese and the Palestinians that who started it really, President Assad, is inflicting upon both. For the Lebanese, my view is that the Syrian forces should withdraw from Lebanon. It was the cause for everything six years before in '75 when President Assad thought at that time that he will be like it was printed in France, "Le Lion de la grande Syrie." Well, the area is suffering now of instability because of this. If we remove the cause, the whole thing will be straightened. And until then, I asked my friend, Prime Begin, to give the Americans the ample time, without deadlines, because I remember before we knew each other, and we were sometimes in confrontation before we reached Camp David and knew each other, he was always against deadlines. Let us give the Americans the opportunity and the ample time to find a solution, and it will not be difficult. I also asked my friend, Premier Begin, to end the raids on the Palestinians. Apart from this, I think we agree upon the fact that the status quo should return and the legitimate president of Lebanon should for one time tell the whole world if he needs the Syrian forces as deterrent, like it is called, or the so-called deterrent forces, if he needs it or not. I pray for God that he finds the courage to say the word for the whole world.
Mr. Begin: With the permission of my friend, the President, I am in full agreement with the President that the decisive cause of the trouble is the invasion of the Syrian occupation army into Lebanon. It is no Arab deterrent army whatsoever. It is a Syrian army, which now uses its guns, tanks, missiles and its divisions, equipped with deadly Soviet weapons, against the civilian population, mainly in Beirut and Zahleh. As in the past they used it against Muslims and now they use them against Christians, and carry out daily the massacre of civilians: men, women and children.
The second reason of the trouble in Lebanon is the so-called P.L.O., also armed with deadly Soviet weapons, like the Katyushas, forty launchers on one truck and when those forty launchers issue forth missiles, and those forty missiles with one strike hit a house, almost everybody is either killed or maimed and the house crumbles. Now I accept the request of my friend President Sadat to give more time to Mr. Philip Habib, to try to solve the crisis in Lebanon - caused by the Syrians - by peaceful means. We don't want war, we don't want any war with Syria. But of course, as the President rightly said, the status quo ante must be restored. This is also the opinion of Mr. Habib and this opinion was also expressed by the Secretary of State, Mr. Haig, who yesterday said that it is logical. Of course, we give Mr. Habib additional time, but this can't go on for an undefined period of time. But he will have ample time as the President asked me. As far as our preventive operations against the bases of the P.L.O. is concerned, I would like to make clear that we don't have any ambition to hit even those bases. But what we do is an act of legitimate self-defense in the highest moral sense. There are now 30,000 armed P.L.O. men in Lebanon. As I said, with the most sophisticated arms, and missiles, and tanks and heavy guns. And they plan day and night to carry out incursions into our country, to take hostages, to kill men, women and children. It became clear that the only way to defend our people, our citizens, our men, women and children, is to carry out those preventive operations. And therefore every man of good will, when he hears this explanation accepts,
they hear we face an absolute necessity to defend our own people, our own citizens...
Q: ... Did you agree anything in regard to the fate of the Israeli citizens who are now living in Ophira?
Mr. Begin: I am going to meet them after this press conference ... The President listened to them after we finished our talk. He was kind enough to have with them a very sincere and open talk for half an hour ... After the President leaves ... I will meet with the settlers...
Q: Mr. President, will the peace process between Israel and Egypt be harmed in any way if war breaks out between Syria and Israel, and did you discuss this question today?
Mr. Sadat: Well, for sure, we have discussed this question, because this is a main topic. And let me tell you this: The decision of war and peace in the area on the Arab side is in the hands of Egypt and on the Israeli side is in the hands of Israel. We have pledged together that the October War will be the last war. We have agreed upon this today also, and let me tell you this: Since Camp David, it is now about three years, dramatic changes has taken place in the area that we live in. But, there is only one fact that prevails. This fact is the Camp David, and the treaty between Egypt and Israel, and the peace process.
Q: Gentlemen: you obviously have different opinions with regard to military actions by the Palestinians. But what about political actions? What is the situation with regard to the autonomy talks. And since all the Palestinians at the moment continue to say that they are not interested in negotiating autonomy in the present framework, that it's being suggested, what do you think can be done to get the Palestinians involved?
Mr. Sadat: Well, we have started the peace process, and we have not asked the permission of anyone. And we shall continue the peace process. Regarding the autonomy talks, we didn't discuss it today. But, if you ask me my own idea, I think, after the Israeli elections, we shall be preparing ourselves on both sides, with our friends the Americans, to start again, and as usual by nature and by fact, I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful that before the end of this year, by God's will, we shall be reaching full autonomy and giving much more, I mean, push to the peace process. And whenever you hear the Palestinians or the Alawis in Syria, saying that they will not join or so, quote me saying that I am waiting for them in El Arish. To come take their chance in their hands, and meet with the Israelis in El Arish.
Mr. Begin: ... As the President said, the question of autonomy negotiations was not raised today. I did not raise it. I will explain why: because President Sadat said, several months ago - and several weeks ago he repeated the statement - that the negotiations concerning the autonomy for the Palestinian Arabs residing in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza District will not start before the elections take place in Israel. In other words: they will start only after the elections, that is a statement I have to respect. We cannot impose ourselves on the President and the Egyptian government, or anybody else. And therefore It would be useless to raise this question. But now I would like to tell you: another question arises, who is going to conduct the negotiations after the elections? So there are two possibilities: Either I am reelected, if the people wish it so, then the chairman of the Autonomy Committee representing Israel will be Dr. Burg. If Mr. Peres is elected, Dr. Burg doesn't stand a chance to be the chairman of the commission. So maybe he himself will preside over the commission ... I don't know. We must all now be patient ... I do believe with all my heart, that whoever negotiates on behalf of Israel will reach an agreement with our Egyptian friends concerning the autonomy, the full autonomy for the Arab Palestinian inhabitants of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza District, in accordance with the Camp David Agreement...
(In answer to a question in Arabic regarding a possible construct for Arab sovereignty over East Jerusalem, President Sadat answered in Arabic that he did not want the city to be redivided, but that the Arab part of the city should be under Arab sovereignty. There would be one city council, half Arab and half Jewish, which would pick mayors who would be alternately Israeli and Arab, and would handle all the city's problems as a united city. President Sadat also said that Mr. Begin did not agree to this plan - ed.)
Mr. Begin: I would like to add that the question of Jerusalem did not come up today in the conversation between the President and myself. As far as the merits of the issue are concerned, I can not speak on behalf of the President, and I do not wish to criticize his opinion. He's entitled to his opinion. I can only explain to you what is my standpoint on this issue, and there are four points:
One: Jerusalem is one city, undivided, and indivisible. Secondly, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, since the days of King David, for eternity. Thirdly, there cannot be any division of any kind, of Jerusalem, and there can not be two sovereignties in Jerusalem - the only sovereignty is that of Israel. And fourthly, guaranteed by law forever, free access to the holy shrines to all members of all religions, whether Muslim, Christian or Jew.
(President Sadat then refused to comment on the possible effects of the summit meeting on the Israeli elections, while Mr. Begin responded, "It didn't even occur to us ... we have so serious problems to discuss and you mix in the elections.")
Q: You both have expressed that you are nearly agreed on the formation of the multi-national forces to come into the Sinai border area next April. Yet you have not announced agreement. What are the differences that divide you and why have you not done that today?
Mr. Begin: That question didn't come up, only we stated when the multinational force should be formed. We have colleagues and advisors who conduct the negotiations very efficiently, and we both believe that very soon there will be a complete agreement between us and the Americans.
Mr. Sadat: There are no real difficulties in it at all.
Q: There was a report ... what was involved was the possibility of a trade-off: a speedier withdrawal, perhaps, by Israel, in exchange for an acceptance of (unintelligible), leaving some of the facilities intact for Egypt. Did you discuss that?
Mr. Begin: Please be patient, you will see in a very short time that we solved all these problems connected with the multi-national force...
Q: Mr. President ... if the Habib Mission fails, will you approve of and/or support Israel in strikes against the Syrians in the Bekka valley - or, in fact, in Syria itself?
Mr. Sadat: Well, all I asked today is that my friend Premier Begin gives ample time to the United States to exert its efforts upon the parties concerned ... but if you ask me my opinion, this crisis will not lead to war. Neither Israel nor Syria wants war. And the whole thing which was started in '75 by Assad was to create "Grande Syrie" - it was not created. Now the motive is to divert the attention from the civil war inside Syria, to prolong his stay as president. Well. If this is his target, he will not ask for war, because it will remove him at once. So I'm not of your idea at all that this situation will arise.
Q: Mr. President, did you and Mr. Begin agree on the danger of the Soviet presence in the Middle East, and do you think the Lebanese situation is increasing this? And I also wanted to ask you, you seemed to indicate that you disagree on the subject of raids against Palestinian bases - is this so? area here, and we don't want to face another Afghanistan in our area here. For that I asked my friend Premier Begin, not only, I mean, stopping the raids on the Palestinians, but I have asked him also if he is ready to sign a peace treaty with Lebanon. Because, you may remember, that the only Arab country that has the armistice agreement of '49 is Lebanon. So my friend was kind enough to state to me officially that he is ready to sign peace tomorrow with Lebanon - as one integral Lebanon. For sure, our main concern is not to permit the Soviet Union to fish in the troubled water of this area.
Mr. Begin: I would like to give you, Madame, a few details about Soviet expansionism and penetration into the very strategic area of the Middle East. First, Syria being on our doorstep has got now 3,600 tanks, all of them Soviet-supplied and built: 1,000 stored, in cases, 2,600 in action. Then the Soviet Union keeps in Syria between 5,000-7,000 experts, advisers, so called, mainly officers, who instruct the Syrians in using the T-62, T-72, the T-72 being now the best tank on earth. The truth should be told, and the whole free world should know that there is such a Soviet tank, the best in the world. And also the Mig-25, which is one of the best planes under the sky, which used to be flown until last year by Soviet pilots, and now it is being used by Syrian pilots who in the meantime got the proper training. On the other side of the Mediterranean, there is Libya. Libya became a mighty arsenal of Soviet weapons. Mr. Qaddafi doesn't have enough manpower to man those weapons. The Soviets concentrated in Libya 2,000 of their tanks - Qaddafi doesn't have enough men to use them - also in case, and then missiles, like those SAM-9s which Qaddafi sent to Lebanon only a few months ago, together with 700 "heroic" Libyan fighters, and which - I'm speaking about the missiles - we destroyed last week. So you can see how Soviet influence goes around, takes over country after country, and is endangering the whole area. On this issue, thank God, we have a full understanding between the President and myself, between Egypt and Israel, and also between our great friend and ally, the United States of America.