On 26 August Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat held another summit conference, this time in Alexandria. The main result was an agreement to resume the autonomy talks in late September. Other items discussed were the process of normalization in the relations between the two states, the bombing of the Iraqi reactor and possible strategic cooperation in the Red Sea area. This would be the last time the two leaders would meet. Text of the opening statement and press conference follows:
Mr. Sadat: -- Let me take this opportunity and express my gratitude to my friend Premier Begin (for) accepting my invitation to visit with me in Alexandria. We had two fruitful meetings yesterday and today, and the highlight of our talks was our agreement that we resume the talks for the full autonomy issue, which is the second part in Camp David, in the second half of September, next month. I welcome him and I ask him to convey to the Israeli President and the Israeli people our very best wishes, and our gratitude for the way both of us are fulfilling his commitment in the agreements that we have reached together. Thank you.
Mr. Begin: Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my friend President Sadat for inviting my colleagues, the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister and the Interior Minister, Dr. Burg, who is the chairman of the full autonomy negotiations committee, for the wonderful hospitality we enjoyed in Alexandria for the last two days. We had indeed, as the President said, very fruitful discussions yesterday and today, and I agree completely with the President that the main achievement of our talks is the agreement we reached already yesterday that we shall resume the negotiations about the autonomy as I understand, on the 23 and 24 of September, as our colleagues the Foreign Ministers agreed among themselves. And let us hope, as we all do, that during the negotiations we shall reach an agreement, which is most important to further all the endeavors we make to achieve peace between our two countries and in the Middle East. We shall do our best. We heard also that normalization of the relations between the two countries, which live
now in peace in an area which is in turmoil, has got many problems, will also deepen in the future. So in general we can say my visit here was successful and the response I got here from my friend President Sadat was absolutely wonderful. Thank you very much Mr. President.
Q: President Sadat, you had indicated, Egypt broke off the talks more than a year ago. On what basis are you resuming them? Is there a quid pro quo to satisfy your objections to the talks fifteen months ago?
Mr. Sadat: Well, I would advise that you not choose the work "break," because we didn't break, but I said to Premier Begin at that time that it would be much more agreeable if we waited until the American election is completed, because you know America is a full partner with us, and Premier Begin agreed to this. Then after that came the Israeli election. Now after the two elections have been completed, I think it is quite natural that we resume our negotiations and our talks to fulfill what we have achieved together in Camp David.
Q: Mr. Begin, do you have a comment on that, is there any give in your position? What are you offering President Sadat in order to resume these talks?
Mr. Begin: President Sadat, my friend, knows very well that I offered to him yesterday the renewal of the negotiations. Now the elections in America are long over, six months. In Israel they took place on the thirtieth of June, and my colleagues and I were re-elected. Some people in our country naturally are dissatisfied with the results, and some abroad may be unnaturally not completely overjoyed but to all of them I apologize for the fact is that we were re-elected. And so now there is an American new administration, in full force, fulfilling their duties, and there is a new government in Israel, a recreated, a re-elected government in Israel, and it is time to renew the negotiations. And so this is the simple agreement between us that suggestion was made. It was agreed upon, I suppose it's a very positive development.
Q: Did you agree on practical steps to bring the Palestinians into the autonomy negotiations, and, President Sadat, are you still pushing to get the P.L.O. directly involved?
Mr. Sadat: I fear that there may be a misunderstanding. First of all, let me tell you this. The Egyptian position since '74, and what was called that time the Alexandria Declaration ... was that there should be a certain link officially declared between Jordan and the Palestinian state, whenever it comes to be ... we didn't change our position in this, despite what King Hussein said...
In the second place, we have put into Camp David together the way the Palestinians could join with us, and as you may remember, it is stated that after three years after the start of the interim period we shall sit together with King Hussein, if he agrees to join with us. This is the time that we fixed in Camp David for the Palestinians to join. Because at that meeting we will be discussing what will happen after the five interim years, and we can't decide for the Palestinians from behind their backs...
Lately, I raised an issue ... in Great Britain and in the United States. I said, if the United States and Saudi Arabia could achieve a cease-fire and Yasser Arafat comes out before the whole world in a press conference declaring that they will respect the cease-fire, this is a great achievement. Very well, why not build upon it? This doesn't mean at all that I'm asking the Palestinians to join with us now, because this position also has been very clear, and I have reiterated more than once saying that whenever we reach agreement between Egypt, Israel and the United States upon the full autonomy we shall be, Premier Begin and me, we shall be asking officially King Hussein to join with us after we sign the agreement, or the moment we sign the agreement. But, someone thought that I want the Palestinians to join now. It is not in the benefit of the cause of the comprehensive that we are after.
This is one point. The second point, which ... made me very happy this time ... is that he (Begin - ed.) has expressed his wish and intention for this cease-fire to be forever. My proposition, and the importance that I attach to the cease-fire, is that there will be no actions from the Palestinian side against Israel, and as a result, no action from the Israeli side against the Palestinians. I hope I have made myself clear.
Mr. Begin: ... My friend President Sadat and I have developed over the last four years a certain custom of relationship between ourselves. When we agree, it is agreed upon and carried out. If we agree to differ, we say so, with complete candor - we don't hide anything. As we said to each other yesterday, I would like the cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel ... to go on indefinitely. The President agreed, assuming that we are not being attacked in any part of the world, and not also via Syria and Jordan. We don't want to hurt anybody - if we are not hurt, we shall not ... Yes, I would like the cease-fire to go on indefinitely, under such an assumption.
Now I would think we can and have to distinguish between the Palestinian Arabs And an organization called the P.L.O. In the Camp David Agreement, we invited the Palestinians to participate in negotiations within the framework of the Egyptian and the Jordanian delegations. It is written clearly, it has to be agreed by all parties to the negotiations. But we invited them. The P.L.O. is not mentioned in the Camp David Agreement at all. And the President also said today he wouldn't suggest that they should now join the negotiations. But I would like today to give to you, the representatives of world public opinion, certain quotations what does that organization which I mentioned mean to us, one point of view, our security, our future, and to the free world. There was a conference in Damascus in June of last year, and among the many resolutions, one is as follows - the Fatah, which is the main component of the P.L.O., decided, namely: The Fatah Movement is a national, revolutionary, independent movement, and its aim is the complete liberation of Palestine and the liquidation of the Zionist entity, economically, politically, militarily, culturally and ideologically. There could be a clearer statement that their aim is to destroy the State of Israel. Who could have asked of any country in the world to negotiate with an organization which openly proclaims that its aim is the destruction of that country? No country, I believe, in the world would have agreed to that.
The second point applies to the Free World, as such, and the resolution is as follows: The strengthening of the strategic alliance between the Socialist countries led by the Soviet Union. Ladies and gentlemen, this is an euphemism for declaring that this organization is actually a servant of Moscow. I will read to you Farouk Kaddoumi's interview to "Der Stern", and he says after the cease-fire, we shall never let Israel live in peace. Remember: Never let Israel live in peace. And then asked about relations that would prevail between a Palestinian state, if it is established, his reply was that the P.L.O. will never recognize Israel. Then Mr. Kaddoumi gave another interview, and said we shall never allow Israel to live in peace, we shall never allow it total security, every Israeli will feel that behind every wall there might be a guerilla who is aiming at me, at an Israeli. These are statements which make clear what is the character of that organization. As far as Israel is concerned, they're striving to destroy it. As far as the Free World is concerned, a servant of Moscow. After the now-famous clash between the F-14s of the United States and the Sukhoi of Libya, Mr. Arafat made a statement in Beirut and said that he is joining his brother Qaddafi, and together they will join forces in order to fight against this imperialist aggression.
Again a proof of what it means from the point of view of the Free World. As now this region is in turmoil, liberty is in danger, all free men should stand together. And therefore we have declared our attitude towards the organization called P.L.O. As far as our Palestinian neighbors are concerned, the inhabitants of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, we will welcome then within the delegations, when we renew all those negotiations and everybody joins in, within the framework of the Egyptian delegations - as agreed upon by all parties.
Q: Could you tell us whether you have reached any understanding today about renewed progress toward normal relations between your two countries.
Mr. Sadat: From our side, yes. It is something that need not be discussed, or cause any worry. But there are some difficulties that the Prime Minister told me about and yesterday I instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs to solve all these immediately. But exactly as Premier Begin has stated, such issues like this we discussed with quite frankness and, as I said in my statement, both of us is fulfilling his obligations.
Mr. Begin: I can ascribe to the statement made by the President.
Q: President Sadat ... why has there been a reluctance to keep still the doors between our countries closed, or not open meaningfully, to exchange between our peoples culturally? Because I believe people-to-people involvement will surely help the peace process. Did you discuss allowing more students and sportsmen to travel between the countries more meaningfully that we have in the past?
Mr. Sadat: In principle, we have agreed upon all these before. And as I told you, we always respect our obligations. There may be some problems that may raise difficulties in any moment, but it will never touch the principle, or it will never change what we have agreed upon. Yes, we had a discussion about this yesterday, and we reached agreement also...
Q: Do you think it's possible to find a solution to the Palestine problem without the P.L.O.?
Mr. Sadat: What we have committed ourselves, together, Premier Begin and me, before and today ... is ... for reaching the comprehensive peace in the area...
Mr. Begin: It is my considered opinion that it is not only possible, but it is necessary to reach an agreement without the organization called P.L.O.
Q: There is a feeling among many Israelis that Egypt might change its policy towards Israel after the final withdrawal from Sinai in April '82. What can you tell those Israelis?
Mr. Sadat: ... I wonder if after we have dealt together about four years now, I am misunderstood. What we have reached together is a full strategic agreement. Strategy means continuance. It is not a tactical move here or there...
Mr. Begin: Well, I can only say what I heard yesterday from the President. We raised this not because there are any doubts but because there were discussions all over the world. And the reply is unequivocal: We shall continue the situation of peace, the efforts for peace, and there won't be any change as far as the relations between our two countries are concerned after April 1982.
Q: (The reporter asks for comments on including Palestinians in the talks, and asks Mr. Begin about the "AWACS" deal.)
(President Sadat reiterates his call for "Mutual and Simultaneous Recognition" between the P.L.O. and Israel, but states that he doesn't consider the P.L.O. the 14sole representative of the Palestinians".
Mr. Begin: ... We do not negotiate with the organization called P.L.O., but we shall welcome the participation as it is written in the Camp David Agreement ... of Palestinian Arabs in the Egyptian delegation or the Jordanian ... and the others must be agreed upon by all participants in the talks. And this you mustn't forget: There should be an agreement about the participation of others. The P.L.O., as I said, is not mentioned at all, and it is no coincidence or accident that it is not mentioned at all in the Camp David Agreement.
As far as your second question is concerned, we already published in Israel that we see the supply of those weapons to Saudi Arabia - "AWACS" and also the parts enhancing the possibilities of the F-15 which will be in possession of Saudi Arabia - as a very serious, direct danger to the security of Israel. This is the stand of Israel by consensus of all our parties, whether in the coalition or in opposition.
Q: , I would like to ask each of you what you told each other regarding the Israeli destruction of Iraq's nuclear reactor, and the Israeli attack on Palestinians targets in Beirut.
Mr. Begin: (Israel never bombed Beirut ... the headquarters of the P.L.O., not Beirut).
Mr. Sadat: ... We have really discussed this, but I would advise no comment...
Mr. Begin: Yes ... we discussed it ... but if the President prefers to say no comment, then I will not deviate from that declaration, because I gave the President all the facts, all the dates - but let us rather stand by that statement of the President, no comment on the issue.
Q: When President Sadat was in Ofira in June, he expressed the hope that the autonomy talks would be concluded by the end of this year. Is it still possible in your opinion, both of you?
Mr. Sadat: For me, I have already declared that I am optimistic, yes, and let us hope that we can persevere ... and reach it before the end of the year. If not, I am always optimistic by nature...I am a born optimist. The President is optimistic by nature, and I am a born optimist. In other words, of course we shall do our best before the end of the year to reach an agreement. Nobody can say for sure that it will happen, then we shall continue. But this is our aim, this is our resolve, and we shall do our best, all of us, to reach an agreement by that time you mentioned.