SPEECH BY ANWAR AL-SADAT TO THE ISRAELI KNESSET

NOVEMBER 20, 1977

(Excerpts)

In the Name of God, Mr. Speaker of the Knesset, ladies and gentlemen,

allow me first to thank deeply the Speaker of the Knesset for affording me this

opportunity to address you.

As I begin my address, I wish to say, Peace and the Mercy of God Almighty

be upon you and may peace be with us all, God willing. Peace for all of us, of

the Arab lands in Israel, as well as in every part of this big world, which is

so beset by conflicts, perturbed by its deep contradictions, menaced now and

then by destructive wars launched by man to annihilate his fellow man.

Finally, amidst the ruins of what man has built among the remains of the

victims of mankind there emerges neither victor nor vanquished. The only

vanquished remains always a man, God's most sublime creation. Man, whom God has

created, as Ghandi, the apostle of peace puts it, to forge ahead, to mold the

way of life and to worship God Almighty.

I come to you today on solid ground to shape a new life and to establish

peace. We all love this land, the land of God, we all, Moslems, Christians and

Jews, worship God.

*****

We all still bear the consequences of four fierce wars waged within 30

years. All this at the time when the families of the 1973 October War are still

mourning under the cruel pain of bereavement of father, son, husband and

brother.

As I have already declared, I have not consulted as far as this decision

is concerned with any of my colleagues or brothers, the Arab heads of state or

the confrontation states.

Most of those who contacted me following the declaration of this decision

expressed their objection because of the feeling of utter suspicion and

absolute lack of confidence between the Arab states and the Palestine people on

the one hand and Israel on the other that still surges in us all.

Many months in which peace could have been brought about have been wasted

over differences and fruitless discussions on the procedure of convening the

Geneva conference. All have shared suspicion and absolute lack of confidence.

*****

It is so fated that my trip to you, which is a journey of peace, coincided

with the Islamic feast, the Holy Feast of the Sacrifice when Abraham--peace be

upon him--forefather of the Arabs and Jews, submitted to God, and, not out of

weakness but through a giant spiritual force and by free will sacrificed his

very own son, thus personifying a firm and unshakable belief in ideals that

have had for mankind a profound significance.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us be frank with each other. Using straight

forward words and a clear conception with no ambiguity, let us be frank with

each other today while the entire world, both East and West, follows these

unparalleled moments which could prove to be a radical turning point in the

history of this part of the world if not in the history of the world as a

whole.

Let us be frank with each other as we answer this important question:

How can we achieve peace based on justice? Well, I have come to you

carrying my clear and frank answer to this big question, so that the people of

Israel as well as the entire world may hear it. All those devoted prayers ring

in my ears, pleading to God Almighty that this historic meeting may eventually

lead to the result aspired to by millions.

Before I proclaim my answer, I wish to assure you that in my clear and

frank answer, I am availing myself of a number of facts which no on can deny.

The first fact is that no one can build this happiness at the expense of

the misery of others.

The second fact: never have I spoken, nor will I ever speak with two

tongues; never have I adopted, nor will I ever adopt, two policies. I never

deal with anyone except in one tongue, one policy, and with one face.

The third fact: direct confrontation is the nearest and most successful

method to reach a clear objective.

The fourth fact: the call for permanent and just peace based on respect

for United Nations resolutions has now become the call of the entire world. It

has become the expression of the will of the international community, whether

in official capitals where policies are made and decisions taken, or at the

level of world opinion, which influences policymaking and decision-taking.

The fifth fact, and this is probably the clearest and most prominent, is

that the Arab nation, in its drive for permanent peace based on justice, does

not proceed from a position of weakness. On the contrary, it has the power and

stability for a sincere will for peace.

The Arab declared intention stems from an awareness prompted by a heritage

of civilization, that to avoid an inevitable disaster that will befall us, you,

and the whole world, there is no alternative to the establishment of a

permanent peace based on justice, peace that is not swayed by suspicion or

jeopardized by ill intentions.

In the light of these facts which I mean to place before you the way I see

them, I would also wish to warn you, in all sincerity I warn you, against some

thoughts that could cross your minds.

First, I have not come here for a separate agreement between Egypt and

Israel. This is not part of the policy of Egypt. The problem is not that of

Egypt and Israel.

An interim peace between Egypt and Israel, or between any Arab

confrontation state and Israel, will not bring permanent peace based on justice

in the entire region.

Rather, even if peace between all the confrontation states and Israel were

achieved in the absence of a just solution of the Palestinian problem, never

will there be that durable and just peace upon which the entire world insists.

Second, I have not come to you to seek a partial peace, namely to

terminate the state of belligerency at this stage and put off the entire

problem to a subsequent stage. This is not the radical solution that would

steer us to permanent peace.

Equally, I have not come to you for a third disengagement agreement in

Sinai or in Golan or the West Bank.

For this would mean that we are merely delaying the ignition of the fuse.

It would also mean that we are lacking the courage to face peace, that we are

too weak to shoulder the burdens and responsibilies of a durable peace based

upon justice.

*****

How can we achieve a durable peace based on justice? In my opinion, and I

declare it to the whole world, from this forum, the answer is neither difficult

nor is it impossible despite long years of feuds, blood, faction, strife,

hatreds, and deep-rooted animosity.

The answer is not difficult, nor is it impossible, if we sincerely and

faithfully follow a straight line.

You want to live with us, part of the world.

In all sincerity, I tell you we welcome you among us with full security

and safety. This in itself is a tremendous turning point, one of the landmarks

of a decisive historical change. We used to reject you. We had all our reasons

and fears, yes.

*****

Why should we bequeath to the coming generations the plight of bloodshed,

yes, orphans, widowhood, family disintegration, and the wailing of victims?

Why don't we believe in the wisdom of God conveyed to us by the wisdom of

the proverbs of Solomon:

"Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors

of peace is joy.

"Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith than a house full of

sacrifices with strife."

Why don't we repeat together the Psalms of David the Prophet:

"Unto thee will I cry, O Lord. Hear the voices of supplications. When I

cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands towards the holy oracle.

"Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which

speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief in their hearts.

"Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of

their endeavours."

Ladies and gentlemen, to tell you the truth, peace cannot be worth its

name unless it is based on justice and not on the occupation of the land of

others. It would not be right for you to demand for yourselves what you deny to

others. With all frankness and in the spirit that has prompted me to come to

you today, I tell you you have to give up once and for all the dreams of

conquest and give up the belief that force is the best method for dealing with

the Arabs.

You should clearly understand the lesson of confrontation between you and

us. Expansion does not yield itself to bargaining, it is not even open to

argument. To us, the nation's soil is equal to the holy valley where God

Almighty spoke to Moses. Peace be upon him.

*****

What is peace for Israel? It means that Israel lives in the region with

her Arab neighbors in security and safety. Is that logical? I say yes. It means

that Israel lives within its borders, secure against any aggression. Is that

logical? And I say yes. It means that Israel obtains all kinds of guarantees

that will ensure these two factors. To this demand, I say yes.

Beyond that we declare that we accept all the international guarantees

that you envisage and accept. We declare that we accept all the guarantees you

want from the two superpowers or from either of them or from the Big Five or

from some of them. Once again, I declare clearly and unequivocally that we

agree to any guarantees you accept, because in return we shall receive the same

guarantees. In short, then, when we ask what is peace for Israel, the answer

would be that Israel lives within her borders, among her Arab neighbors in

safety and security, within the framework of all the guarantees she accepts and

which we offered to her.

But how can this be achieved? How can we reach this conclusion which would

lead us to permanent peace based on justice? There are facts that should be

faced with courage and clarity. There are Arab territories which Israel has

occupied and still occupies by force. We insist on complete withdrawal from

these territories, including Arab Jerusalem.

I have come to Jerusalem, the City of Peace, which will always remain as a

living embodiment of coexistence among believers of the three religions. It is

inadmissible that anyone should conceive the special status of the city of

Jerusalem within the framework of annexation or expansionism. It should be a

free and open city for all believers.

Above all, this city should not be severed from those who have made it

their abode for centuries. Instead of reviving the precedent of the Crusades,

we should revive the spirit of Omar Ibn Khatib and Saladin, namely the spirit

of tolerance and respect for right.

The holy shrines of Islam and Christianity are not only places of worship

but a living testimony of our interrupted presence here. Politically,

spiritually and intellectually, here let us make no mistake about the

importance and reverence we Christians and Moslems attach to Jerusalem.

Let me tell you without the slightest hesitation that I have not come to

you under this roof to make a request that your troops evacuate the occupied

territories. Complete withdrawal from the Arab territories occupied after 1967

is a logical and undisputed fact. Nobody should plead for that. Any talk about

permanent peace based on justice and any move to ensure our coexistence in

peace and security in this part of the world would become meaningless while you

occupy Arab territories by force of arms.

For there is no peace that could be built on the occupation of the land of

others, otherwise it would not be a serious peace. Yet this is a foregone

conclusion which is not open to the passion of debate if intentions are sincere

or endeavors to establish a just and durable peace for our and for generations

to come are genuine.

As for the Palestine cause--nobody could deny that it is the crux of the

entire problem. Nobody in the world could accept today slogans propagated here

in Israel, ignoring the existence of a Palestinian people and questioning their

legitimate rights are no longer denied today by anybody; that is, nobody who

has the ability of judgment can deny or ignore it.

It is an acknowledged fact, perceived by the world community, both in the

East and in the West, with support and recognition in international documents

and official statements. It is of no use to anybody to turn deaf ears to its

resounding voice, which is being heard day and night, or to overlook its

historical reality.

Even the United States of America, your first ally, which is absolutely

committed to safeguard Israel's security and existence and which offered and

still offers Israel every moral, material, and military support -- I say, even

the United States has opted to face up to reality and admit that the

Palestinian people are entitled to legitimate rights and that the Palestine

problem is the cause and essence of the conflict and that so long as it

continues to be unresolved, the conflict will continue to aggravate, reaching

new dimension.

In all sincerity, I tell you, there can be no peace without the

Palestinians. It is a grave error of unpredictable consequences to overlook or

brush aside this cause.

I shall not indulge in past events such as the Balfour Declaration sixty

years ago. You are well acquainted with the relevant text. If you have found

the moral and legal justification to set up a national home on a land that did

not belong to you, it is incumbent upon you to show some understanding of the

insistence of the people of Palestine for establishment once again of a state

on their land. When some extremists ask the Palestinians to give up this

sublime objective, this in fact means asking them to renounce their identity

and every hope for the future.

I hail the Israeli voices that called for recognition of the Palestinian

people's right to achieve and safeguard peace.

Here I tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that it is no use to refrain from

recognizing the Palestinian people and their right to statehood as their right

of return. We, the Arabs, have faced this experience before, with you. And with

the reality of the Israeli existence, the struggle which took us from war to

war, from victims to more victims, until you and we have today reached the edge

of a horrible abyss and a terrifying disaster unless, together, we seize this

opportunity today of a durable peace based on justice.

You have to face reality bravely as I have done. There can never be any

solution to a problem by evading or turning a deaf ear to it. Peace cannot last

if attempts are made to impose fantasy concepts on which the world has turned

its back and announced its unanimous call for the respect of rights and facts.

There is no need to enter a vicious circle as to Palestinian rights. It is

useless to create obstacles, otherwise the march of peace will be impeded or

peace will be blown up. As I have told you, there is no happiness (based on)

the detriment of others.

*****

Conceive with me a peace agreement in Geneva that we would herald to a

world thirsting for peace. A peace agreement based on the following points:

Ending the occupation of the Arab territories occupied in 1967.

Achievement of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people and their

right to self-determination, including their right to establish their own

state.

The right of all states in the area to live in peace within their

boundaries, their secure boundaries, which will be secured and guaranteed

through procedures to be agreed upon, which will provide appropriate security

to international boundaries in addition to appropriate international

guarantees.

Commitment of all states in the region to administer the relations among

them in accordance with the objectives and principles of the United Nations

Charter. Particularly the principles concerning the non-use of force and a

solution of differences among them by peaceful means.

Ending the state of belligerence in the region.

Ladies and gentlemen, peace is not a mere endorsement of written lines.

Rather it is the rewriting of history. Peace is not a game of calling for peace

to defend certain whims or hide certain admissions. Peace in its essence is a

dire struggle against all and every ambition and whim.

*****

The will of peoples is part of the will of God. Ladies and gentlemen,

before I came to this place, with every beat of my heart and with every

sentiment, I prayed to God Almighty, While performing the prayers at the al-

Aqsa Mosque and while visiting the Holy Sepulchre I asked the Almighty to give

me strength and to confirm my belief that this visit may achieve the objective

I look forward to for a happy present and a happier future.

I have chosen to set aside all precedents and traditions known by warring

countries. In spite of the fact that occupation of Arab territories is still

there, the declaration of my readiness to proceed to Israel came as a great

surprise that stirred many feelings and confounded many minds. Some of them

even doubted its intent.

Despite all that, the decision was inspired by all the clarity and purity

of belief and with all the true passions of my people's will and intentions and

I have chosen this road, considered by many to be the most difficult road.

I have chosen to come to you with an open heart and an open mind. I have

chosen to give this great impetus to all international efforts exerted for

peace. I have chosen to present to you on your own home, the realities, devoid

of any scheme or whim. Not to maneuver, or win a round, but for us to win

together, the most dangerous of rounds embattled in modern history, the battle

of permanent peace based on justice.

It is not my battle alone. Nor is it the battle of the leadership in

Israel alone. It is the battle of all and every citizen in all our territories,

whose right it is to live in peace. It is the commitment of conscience and

responsibility in the hearts of millions.

When I put forward this initiative, many asked what is it that I conceived

as possible to achieve during this visit and what my expectations were. And as

I answer the questions, I announce before you that I have not thought of

carrying out this initiative from the precepts of what could be achieved during

this visit. I have come here to deliver a message. I have delivered the message

and may God be my witness.

I repeat with Zacharia: Love, right and justice. From the Holy Koran I

quote the following verses: "We believe in God and in what has been revealed to

us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the 13 Jewish

tribes. And in the books given to Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their

lord, who made no distinction between them."

So we agree, Salam Aleikum! Peace be upon you!