On 6 June Ambassador Habib was ordered by President Reagan to travel to the Middle East to contain the war in Lebanon and insure it does not spread to other parts of the region. He met with Mr. Begin on 7 June. The next day Mr. Begin asked Mr. Habib to carry "a message to President Assad of Syria: If P.L.O. artillery in the Syrian lines was pulled back to the 40 kilometer mark, there would be no need for Syria and Israel to fight. " Mr. Habib was also requested to demand that Syria return to its territory additional missile batteries it placed on Lebanese territory after the commencement of the fighting. Habib set out for Damascus on 8 June but saw President Assad the next day. By then Israel and Syria were fighting. On 8 June Mr. Begin replied in the Knesset to a non-confidence motion presented by the Israel Communist Party. He explained the reasons for the campaign, renewed his call not to participate in the war and asked for national unity. He added: "If we achieve the 40 kilometer line from our border, the job is done, all fighting shall cease. " As he was speaking, Israel and Syria were engaged in battle in Lebanon. The motion was defeated by 94 to 3, 9 members did not vote and 14 were absent. Text:
Mr. Speaker, Members of the Knesset:
The I.D.F. spokesman yesterday published the numbers: we have 25 dead, 7 missing, 96 wounded. Perhaps in other nations, in light of a campaign such as has been going on since Sunday, people would say that such losses are not great. We will not say so. For us, these are heavy losses, most heavy losses. For us, each person is an entire universe, and every family stands alone in its suffering and our heart is with them. Let us give honor to the soldiers of Israel, the heroes and martyrs who gave their lives in national service, which is the most righteous and noble kind of service, to ensure peace and security and tranquil life to its inhabitants - men, women and children - and to remove the danger and threat of sudden death from them.
Mr. Speaker, the entire nation, save one faction, has united around the I.D.F., vanquisher of the enemy, victorious, ensurer of the peace of the citizens of Israel. This national unity is one of the finest hours in the history of Israel. I would like to express my thanks to the opposition Labor party, the "Tehiyah" and "Telem" factions and "Shinui". I would like to thank every member of the Knesset, in every faction, for this joint position.
We all participate in the grief of the families who lost their loved ones. There are no words for consolation. May the Lord comfort you together with the other mourners of Zion, and may they grieve no more. We all send wishes for a complete and speedy recovery to the wounded and we are all concerned for our soldiers.
Yes, I expressed, with all due respect, complete identification with the declaration of the President of the United States to both Houses of the British Parliament, saying: Israel must bring her soldiers home from Lebanon, and terror in the Middle East, which endangers world peace, must be stamped out. The identification is with both parts of this declaration. We want our soldiers to come home. They have a good home in the Land of Israel, good and warm and loving, expecting them with concern and anxiety and love. But the terror must be eradicated. And I will remind he who tells us that even today it is impossible to achieve this objective, that at the end of the 19th century the anarchistic terror prevailed throughout the world - even in the United States of America, in Spain, even in Paris and even in Switzerland - and scores of people were killed, and there were explosions in cafes, and it was impossible to overcome this terror. But free humanity did not rest. Yes, it suffered for several years, but it decided to eradicate this plague and humanity was released from this anarchistic terror that did not know how to distinguish between an armed person and a civilian and one who bears no responsibility for anything. There was one person, a cruel assassin, a strange person who killed scores of persons in an explosion in a cafe. They said to him: Why did you kill innocent persons? And he answered with a well-known statement: There is no innocent bourgeoisie... Today, there is a saying going around in the Middle East: There is no innocent Jew. Every Jew is doomed - he must be killed. And the same is true throughout the world. This terror must be eradicated. It can be eradicated.
In this let us all stand together, with one heart, until we reach peaceful times, not only for the Galilee and its inhabitants, but peace for all Israel, peace for all the nations of the world.
The nation stands behind its soldiers. From Mr. Y. Saad and his wife I received the following letter: "It is a time of trouble for the (house of) Jacob and I pray to the Lord on high that it will be saved from it. My wife and I, who have a son-in law who is a career officer in the air force with the rank of major, a son Ra'anan, is in the Golani Brigade patrol -those who captured the Beaufort - and our youngest daughter serves in the 'Nahal' (paramilitary agricultural service) in the Kadarim settlement group, which is in the Galilee. They are all we have. We have decided to strengthen your heart and hands in these fateful hours for our nation, for our country and for our families, and the Government of Israel along with you, and above all the Israel Defense Forces, by giving a modest donation of 1,000 shekels.
May it be the will of God that others follow in our footsteps to enable you to give the I.D.F. the tools and means necessary for victory over our enemies and those who menace us in this holy war. In your days and in ours, may Judea be saved and Israel live secure, and may the sons return home and to their families.
I received the following telegram from the United States: "As this message is conveyed to you, the leadership and staff are beginning telephone conversations with all the communities, twenty-four hours a day. Our hearts and our prayers are with you and the citizens of Israel in the hope that a quick and successful solution can be found to the current crisis. We express the complete commitment between the citizens in Israel and the American Jewish community."
"We the faithful of the State of Israel in the Golan Heights and the Directorate of the Zionist Druze Circle place ourselves at the disposal of the I.D.F. in its struggle against the murderers, the P.L.O. personnel in Lebanon, and are ready at all times to join in any task that you place on us."
Another telegram in the name of the many Mormons in Israel: "Time to liberate the north from threats and Lebanon from outsiders. We wish to be active partners."
From the Christian Embassy in Jerusalem: "Israel's many friends in the Christian world were deeply shocked by the shooting of Ambassador Shlomo Argov. We are praying for him, and we also want to encourage you in the actions you are taking in southern Lebanon in order to secure the safety of the people of the Galilee area. Israel, we stand with you. The International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem."
This is one of the many letters that were received. These are five telegrams out of scores which were received over the last two days, but they express, even emphasize, the unity of the nation behind its soldiers.
This is a fine hour for Israel, a fine hour for the democratic parliament, that knows how to unite of its own free will in times of crisis. There are many times that I have said to new members of the Knesset: I have been in this house for thirty-two years now. There are only a few moments when the greatness of a democratic parliament is apparent. Usually, legislative work is regular, routine, not especially interesting. But then comes a day when you see all the importance, all the greatness, the glory of the free vote of a real parliament. And one of the finest hours is when free men, of their own free will, without any attempt at compulsion, at imposition of foreign will, unite in their hearts and stand together until the storm passes, until the danger passes, until peace is ensured for the country's citizens. This is one of those hours. It will be remembered for generations to come.
Mr. Chairman, before taking a decision the government hesitated much and weighed (the issue) extensively. Not only do I not deny the hesitation and Weighing, I emphasize it. It was not an easy decision to make to send soldiers to battle. It is true that this is not a war, but it is a battle, and we knew that it would not be a hike. We knew that our soldiers would encounter modern weapons, long range weapons, and in face to face confrontation it would be necessary to conquer certain places such as the Beaufort. Therefore, we knew that the joy of victory would be accompanied by deep sorrow and participation in the sorrow of bereaved families. Therefore we hesitated so much, debated so much until we saw, found: there was no other way.
And here an ambassador, a representative of a sovereign country, leaves a reception for eighty ambassadors. A despicable murderer awaits him. In a moment, our presentative is lying on the floor. One of the most wonderful ambassadors that we have, and I must say this as I know that his political outlook differs from mine and from that of my colleagues. But he is one of the most wonderful emissaries and representatives of the State of Israel of all times. Courageous, perceptive, most talented. And here is a family filled with fear.
Since then I have spoken several times by telephone with the good doctor, Dr. Grand, who operated on him and he told me: I can't promise you anything. We are doing our best, and I hope he lives. He also couldn't tell me that he would not be paralyzed if he stays alive. He also couldn't tell me that his mind would be as active as it was. All this is in question. I requested that his wife be notified that we are all praying for the welfare of Shlomo Argov. A wonderful man, a good Jew, a faithful Israeli citizen, a loyal ambassador, dedicated to his task, and respected in all circles in Britain. May he recover and be able to return to his task, which is so important, especially these days.
Mr. Speaker, what did we do after all the considerations, after all the weighing, after all the hesitations? What could we do? Could we accept the malicious interpretation of an unsigned agreement for the cessation of hostilities, according to which it was only from south Lebanon that terrorists could not strike at us, but from any other sector it is permitted, and all the Jews of the world can be their target?
We have never accepted this explanation. I asked Mr. Philip Habib, who I will soon meet with again, to note that we give no permission to strike at Jews in the Diaspora, and we stood by this correct interpretation. The talk that striking at Jews in London, in Athens, in Rome and in other locations is not a breach of the agreement for the cessation of hostilities - is a strange interpretation that I have never accepted, but it exists.
What could we do, therefore? In this generation, shall we abandon Jewish blood? Shall we allow the murder of an ambassador of the State of Israel, who represents its glory, honor and sovereignty? It is apparent that we had to react to this criminal act, and we did so. And what did the enemy do? It immediately began massive shelling. In the course of two days, 800 shells were fired on 23 of our settlements in the Galilee. There was mass destruction of property. There were wounded. A soldier was killed, our blood was spilled, and they threatened to continue. Men, women and children by the thousands and tens of thousands were forced to sit in shelters day and night, in the summer.
In the course of the past year, we added shelters. It is true that we improved shelters, but nevertheless it is very difficult. I have been in them. It is very difficult to sit in them even for a few hours. We have here a Knesset member who recalls her visit to her kibbutz, Gesher, our Edna. She once said to me: Soon we will have children who we will call "shelter children." Thank God, in that part of the country there is peace since then. And then we began shelter-children in Nahariya, shelter-children in Kiryat Shmona, in Kfar Giladi, in Metulla, in Misgav Am, in Dafna. Shelter children. Is there a nation which would tolerate such a phenomenon? Is there a nation which would acquiesce in such aggression?
I want to declare to all nations: The children of Israel will happily go to school and joyfully return home, just like the children in Washington, in Moscow and in Peking; in Paris and in Rome; in Oslo, in Stockholm and in Copenhagen. The fate of a million and half a million Jewish children has been different from all the children of the world throughout the generations. No more. We will defend our children. If the hand of any two-footed animal is raised against them, that hand will be cut off, and our children will grow up in joy in the homes of their parents.
But, here there are Katyushas, missiles and artillery shells day and night, with the sole intention of murdering our women and children. There are military targets in the Galilee. What a characteristic phenomenon, they are protected, completely immune to these terrorists. Only at the civilian population, only to shed our blood, just to kill our children, our wives, our sisters, our elderly. Such a method, so despicable, terroristic. Despicable. There has been none so despicable since the days of the S.A. the S.S. and the Gestapo.
There was never an armed organization so low, so despicable as this terrorist organization, which aims its unclean weapons against men, women and children. Therefore we have implemented our right to national self-defense.
In reply to U.S. President Reagan's letter, a very friendly letter, I explained to him: Here the U.S. supports Britain's actions in the Falkland Islands, or the Malvinas as the Argentinians call them. How does Mrs. Thatcher justify it? On the basis of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which speaks of "The inherent right of self defense." 8,000 miles from that country, this is a right of national self-defense? Whereas one mile, two miles, three miles, on our doorstep, our threshold, we are attacked and have no right to national self-defense? We have to sit by and watch the shells falling on our brothers and sisters? It is clear that we had to implement our right of national self-defense, and we did so. We continue to do so.
Once more, I would like to tell all peoples - for a long time, too long, the Jew was excluded from all the laws which applied to all nations. No more. The laws which apply to other nations will apply to our nation - to the Jewish people. The right of self-defense accorded to all other nations is also accorded to us. No more and no less.
Since I am still on the subject of Britain, I want to return to the important and famous newspaper, "Times". which today published a leader attacking Israel and me, personally, for what we have done in the north in order to protect our people in the Galilee and in Lebanon. That is its right - we believe in freedom of the press - however, if someone attacks he has to expect a response. I wish to say:
A newspaper which supported the treachery of the Munich Agreement must be very careful about moralizing to a small nation fighting for its life. Were we to listen to it, we would no longer be in existence. Czechoslovakia vanished because of the famous line of the "Times" in 1938, and the famous, or infamous lead article at the time of Rumciman's visit to Prague. But we learned the lesson. Therefore, we are also not taking the latest advice of the "Times", just as we did not take its advice at the time of Munich. It should take stock of its deeds and articles.
Mr. Speaker, I announce once again: We do not want war with Syria. From this rostrum, I call on President Assad to instruct the Syrian army not to harm Israeli soldiers, and then nothing will happen to them. We actually do not want to harm anyone. We want only one thing: That no one harm our settlements in the Galilee any more, that our citizens in the Galilee settlements will not have to choke in shelters day and night, that they will not have to live under the threat of sudden death from the missile called a Katyusha. That is what we want. We do not want any clash with the Syrian army. If we achieve the 40 kilometer line from our northern border, the job is done, all fighting will cease.
I make this appeal to the Syrian President. He knows how to keep an agreement. He signed a cease-fire agreement with us and kept it. He did not let Syria and the terrorists take action. Let him act in this spirit now in Lebanon and no Syrian soldier will be harmed by our forces.
Mr. Speaker, from time to time our nation has an encounter with history. And so, our soldiers are now in Tyre. We recall Ezekiel, chapter 27, verse 8: "Thy wise men, 0 Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots." We are standing today in Sidon and we recall Isaiah, chapter 23, verse 12: "Thou shalt no more rejoice, 0 thou oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon." We also recall the two chapters in the Book of Kings on the friendship between Hiram, King of Tyre, and our King David, and on the alliance our King Solomon formed with the King of Tyre at the time of the construction of the First Temple. We will not be able to give Tyre what Solomon gave it, but we can give it security, peace and tranquility. And only on condition that there be peace and tranquility in Nahariya, which was shelled from Tyre for many years, with Katyusha shells. No longer. All will be tranquil - both we and they.
The day will dawn, the day is coming soon, when we will renew negotiations with the legitimate government of Lebanon and propose a peace treaty based on absolute territorial integrity for Lebanon. I hereby announce - with the concurrence of all the Zionist factions - that we do not want even one square millimeter of Lebanese territory. We ask for only one thing: That our border be renewed - peaceful, green, quiet and beautiful - between Lebanon and Israel. As it existed 19 whole years. Because this pastoral, beautiful, quiet was completely destroyed by these murderers.
That is our goal. There is a basis for believing that we will achieve it, God willing. There will be peace for the Galilee, peace for Israel, peace for the Middle East, peace for all nations.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I propose that the Knesset, by a vote against the proposal of the "Hadash" faction, express its confidence in the government and its policy.