On 23 April, Italy's Prime Minister Ciriaco De Mita and his Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti arrived in Israel for an official visit, in the course of which they had extensive talks with Israel's leaders. The Israeli peace initiative was presented to the guests who gave it a qualified endorsement. Israel considered Italy a very important element in the European arena, whose friendship it valued and whose past support Israel appreciated. Text:
Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Foreign Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honor and a joy for me to receive you here, Mr. Prime Minister, Ciriaco de Mita; Mr. Foreign Minister, Giulio Andreotti, and your entourage, and to welcome you with my warmest greetings, and those of Israel's Government and its people.
Together, we have just tasted on the fifth evening of Passover, of the unleavened bread, the symbol of our struggle for freedom and the circumstances in which we achieved it, more than 3,500 years ago when we left the land of slavery on the way to the Promised Land. Since then, every year, at the same time, we mark the holiday of emancipation which expresses our affinity to freedom, our loyalty to the history of our people and to our deep roots which we struck in the land of our forefathers. Each year, in every Diaspora community, beside the seder table the same prayer, "Next year in Jerusalem," is offered again and again. It is a special pleasure for me, therefore, Mr. Prime Minister, to host you during your official visit during this holiday which is so symbolic for us.
Your visit to Israel, Mr. Prime Minister, as well as my visit to Rome last year, is an integral part of the framework of candid and on-going dialogue characterizing our relations.
Italian-Israeli relations were fashioned long ago and pre-date Israel's independence.
Many are the families living today in Israel which remember with gratitude the assistance tendered to them by the Italian authorities following WWII, after they had been rescued from the death camps - trekked over Italian soil on their way to the land of sanctuary: Israel. Many are the families, of Italian Jewish extraction, who built their homes in Israel, both before and after the war, and in so doing contributed to the development of Israel and built an infrastructure upon which the bonds of friendship between Israel and Italy were established and strengthened.
These relations are deep and extensive. They are embedded in the memories of a common historic period, of mutual ideals and loyalty to democracy and freedom, and on identical concepts of a just society. They are also based on common interests in the spheres of culture, science, and economy. Much has already been done in these spheres, and much is being done at this very moment, but we must make a concerted effort to expand this cooperation between us, especially in the fields of economics, where science, technology, and Israeli research together with international agreements and ties, conjointly with the ability to create, the ability to produce, and distribution by Italian entrepreneurs, can result in the accelerated economic development of the two countries.
Mr. Prime Minister, we recognize the special interest Italy displays in the Mediterranean region and in the countries bordering its shores. Italy is, after all, by its geographical location, a Mediterranean country, even as Israel is. It is thus natural to exchange viewpoints and ideas between us to the benefit of the two countries and of the region. However, Italy constitutes a component of the European political-economic conglomerate, which is displaying interest in our area and with which we are 'also conducting an ongoing dialogue. Israel too is an integral part of this region in which it exists; The peace and prosperity of this region are the existence and prosperity of Israel. This is the reason that the [present] Government of Israel as well as all the governments since the establishment of the state have, in their actions, designated peace as the objective of highest priority. The State of Israel was established in 1948 in the midst of a war imposed on it by Arab countries which refused to recognize it and would not accept its existence, and whose refusal to do so to this very day constitutes a motive for additional attempts at destroying it. Peace in this context, therefore, is significant for Israel's security, a sine qua non for a durable peace and not for a shaky peace harboring the buds of an additional war and a tangible threat to our existence. This conflict, which is so painful for all sides, must be resolved, but the history of the Middle East requires us to consider with prudence the existing possibilities towards a settlement. In this region saturated with weapons, where the contrasts between the countries and the peoples are so sharp, where hatred - not only or always towards Israel - represents a political component, in this arena of strange alliances, casual and fleeting, in this region of contrasting political, economic, and religious interests, in a region which represents a choice market for an indiscriminate arms race, we must first build coexistence and create the conditions which have turned peace into the natural and obvious reality it is in Europe.
The first crack in the wall of rejection surrounding Israel over the course of its first thirty years of existence, was brought about by the Camp David Accords which were signed with Egypt a decade ago. The importance of these agreements lies not only in the fact that the first peace accord was signed with the largest Arab state, but also in the fact that they embody an overall plan for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
We must recreate this climate around the other Arab countries in order that they agree to put an end to the state of war with Israel and to launch a new process of peace.
Lip service is not enough, especially when it is ambivalent and changing. Ancient and modern Jewish history have taught us to be prudent and make it imperative for us to adhere to this principle. Such caution does not spring from fear but rather from the recognition of a fleeting reality in our region, and from the necessity to ensure Israel's future for coming generations. The countries of Europe, recognizing better than any others the chronicles of our people, must be more sensitive than the others to our concerns and caution.
The human drama unfolding before us these days in Lebanon, in which no distinction is made between the victim and the victimizer, dictates that we display maximum prudence and requires us to make our friends better understand which courses should be taken, the time required and the possible frameworks, for the benefit of the peoples of the region.
It is imperative that Europe know that what we hear from the Arab countries are not songs of peace but threats, economic embargo, and intense hostile diplomatic activity against Israel. The countries of Europe can contribute to a change in this hostile atmosphere and to the creation of a peaceful atmosphere among the leaders of the Arab countries and among public opinion, and by so doing fulfill a constructive role.
Mr. Prime Minister, the Palestinian problem and the ways to a solution in this overall context must be examined. Our proposal to organize elections in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza region is an important step towards an agreement on an essential interim solution, the first stage towards a permanent resolution of the conflict.
In the course of the working session we held today, I had the opportunity to develop our proposals for a peaceful solution. I will not repeat them. The time has come that the Arab countries and the Palestinian population in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza region recognize our existence and agree to negotiate with us directly in order to put an end to this long-standing conflict.
Mr. Prime Minister, Europe is organizing itself with the hope of successfully meeting the challenges of 1992, after so many years of efforts and preparations, after it succeeded in overcoming hundreds of years of hostility between its peoples. We view your preparations with optimism and hope, but also with concern. Europe must not forget that the purpose for which the European community was established was not a union hermetically sealed before others, but rather a union linked to other areas and especially the Mediterranean basin, whose economy is considerably dependent on its ties to Europe.
Europe represents for us a principle factor on the commercial, economic, technological, and academic levels, and Italy's position, in this expanded framework is growing in importance.
Mr. Prime Minister, we are delighted to be hosting you, we are glad to receive you during this holiday, which, more than the non-festive days, enable you to penetrate into the soul of the people and its history, to experience its sources - dating from the beginning of time - and in so doing to understand in which direction it is heading with confidence and hope.
It is in this spirit of hope that I invite you, ladies and gentlemen, to raise a toast in honor of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy, to friendship, Italy and peace.