Shortly before leaving Israel, Mrs. Thatcher was honoured at a special ceremony by the Israeli Knesset. Speaking at the Knesset, Mr. Peres praised the special relations between Israel and Britain and the historic role played by Britain in the years preceding the creation of Israel. Text:
"Mr. Speaker, honored Knesset, Madame Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mrs. Thatcher, and her entourage: I had the chance today to accompany Mrs. Thatcher to Sde Boker and Ashkelon, and when the leader of Great Britain stood alongside the grave of David Ben-Gurion I felt that some kind of historical circle had been closed and some kind of historical chapter was being opened. Afterwards I accompanied her to Ashkelon and the Weizmann Institute and I can report to the Knesset Members that we have not seen such a warm reception in the State of Israel, for a long time, with children and notables, everyday people and scientists receiving the British prime minister with a great deal of love and warmth. I thought about the reason why all along the way. I of course know that Mrs. Thatcher is both a doctor of chemistry and a lawyer, and I could have simply said that chemistry was created between Mrs. Thatcher and our people, but of course the matters go a bit deeper than that.
I felt that history was touching upon history, a people was meeting a people, memories and hopes mixed together and were expressed in a clear and ambivalent manner at the same time. History touched history because there has been a most impressively awesome accounting between the Jewish people and the British people since Oliver Cromwell was among the first in Europe to recognize the equal rights of the Jewish people, through a long path of the demonstration of tolerance towards our people. It is also no simple thing that a Jew like DIsraeli, who never studied in school but was taught at his father's knee about the deep Jewish and Hebrew culture, later on his life became a leader who made his mark in this great land, this great empire, despite his being a Jew - this is also an expression of the uniqueness that exist in the relations between our two peoples.
A people touching a people naturally, because what Cyrus did at the time of Ezra and Nechemiah, Lord Balfour did in the twentieth century. Whatever we say, this was the greatest outside momentum that Herzl's vision ever received. In a few short words, and that is an understatement, but with a historical capability of penetration, Lord Balfour, who was also a great philosopher, proposed an opinion that over the years has beat in the hearts of our people, which provided legitimacy in a western world in which Great Britain was beyond all doubt the prevailing power.
We remember not only the declaration, but also Lord Balfour's visit in dedicating the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. We are among the few peoples which had a university before he had a state. And since then, many and great people, including Churchill and other great leaders have stood by the Jewish people, by the Zionist idea, and by the State of Israel.
There is no point in denying that there have also been moments of clashes, hours of disagreement, even days of war. I hope that Mrs. Thatcher will accept my remarks in a good spirit if I say that if one has to fight someone, it is best to fight Great Britain. There is something about it, that even in the time of war, the memories that remain in a historical span are not so bitter. We agreed, we were encouraged, we argued and we fought. Today these memories are memories on the positive side of the ledger of history. Not only a people, not only history, but a viewpoint touching viewpoint. The fact that in this Parliament sit parties, with arguments, with debate, with temperament and sometimes even great disputes, and yet underneath all this we have unity and above us there is a free spirit. For this we are considerably indebted to the island of humanity where, more than a thousand years ago the first free Parliament in the world was born, and as the English nurtured the grass, they also nurtured democracy - with unflagging patience for hundreds of years, until it became an accepted point of view among most people. Our parliamentarianism we also by no small means owe to Great Britain.
And finally, it may be that we agree, it may be that we do not agree. I want to say that I am sure, in the name of all the Knesset members, how much we agree. We agree on the desire to see a calm Middle East, a peaceful Middle East, a Middle East in which Jews, Arabs, and Druze, Jews, Christians and Moslems live without enmity and not via the sword, but rather live in peace. And even if we do not always agree on the methods, we do not belittle the good will that the British prime minister brings to this region out of an effort to contribute to the recovery of the peace process in our midst.
Madame, you represent a nation toward which we have never been apathetic about, whose contribution to our lives as a people, a nation and as members of the Jewish people we will never forget. I must also say that we have a great deal of respect for your courage, your leadership, and your efforts to put great Britain on its feet and take its place in the world - without an empire, but with an outlook. We respect the leadership, we remember the past, we are partners for the future. May your presence amongst us be blessed."