FBIS Coverage of the Middle East Peace Talks: 1977 December

PPROVED FOR RELEASE CIA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS DIVISION AR 70-14 13NOV201
V. 27 Dec 77 D 16 EGYPT '
[As-Sadat] There should be a solution for this problem, for that we have passed it
to the political.committee that we have agreed upon in the Cair: car.ference and for
sure we shall find a solution because, as I have stated before, the Palestinian
question is the crux of the. whole problem. Maybe ii the near future after the
political committee works and the discussion starts, a new situation will develop.
[Question] Prime Minister Begin, could I ask your opinion on this? Would you see
the possibility of a limited role for the PLO in a Palestinian or West Bank settlement?
[Begin] The organization called PLO is bent on the destruction of Israel. It is
written in its charter. They have never changed their position. As I stated time
and again, from our point of view everything is negotiable except the destruction
of Israel. And therefore, this organization is no partner to our negotiations. Now
as I read before I reached Ismailia, a spokesman of this organization threatened the
life of President as-Sadat, speaking about a bullet, one bullet, which may change the
course of the events. And now we have a situation after Tripoli in which such a
threat is issued--issued both against Israel and against Egypt. We want to discuss
the. problem of the Palestinian Arabs with our Egyptian friends. We want to negotiate
with representatives of the Palestinian Arabs, and this we are going to do the first
week of January.
[Question] 'Oded Geranot, MA'ARIV. Mr President, talking about the comprehensive
settlement, do you see any possibility that other Arab parties will Join the
conference? Will you inform King Husayn?
[As-Sadat] For sure, I shall be informing King Husayn about all the developments
and what has taken place here in Ismailia, and let us hope that others will Join in
the next stage.
[Question] Dov (Yustovsky) of YEDIrOT AHARONOT. Mr President, when you were talking
of peace, you were always saying: Let us leave the question of diplomatic relations
for the future generations. Now, in view of the dramatic changes which have taken
place, did you change your mind?
[As-Sadat) As I have said before, the nature of peace is one of the important points
that are on the agenda for the two committees and the plenary session after that. Let
me tell you this: It is now, I think, not more than 35 and 40 days since my visit to
Jerusalem. Everything has changed. Everything has changed since that visit took place;
and I quite agree with those who state that the world after the Jerusalem visit is
completely different from the world before this visit.
[Question] Abie Nathan of the Voice of Peace. Mr President, before I ask you a
question, I am sure that I will be expressing the wishes of everybody in this hall
and viewers all over the world to wish you that the next 60 years you will have
peace in your mind and help to lead people everywhere in the search for peace. Many
happy returns. [last three words said in Arabic and As-Sadat says thanks in Arabic]
Now the question. Mr President and Prime Minister Begin, you have found ways to
reason with each other on the level of leadership, the foreign ministers level and
the defense ministers level., but people on both sides are thirsty, hungry and impatient;
for more progress and they want to find ways also to be involved. Seven years ago the
United States and China thought of a way to bring people together in what they called
the ping-pong diplomacy. Will you open the borders to allow sportsmen on both sides
even in this stage and in that way allow people to be involved to play together and to
know each other? In the last press conference, I requested a football team, even though
you have a stronger football team in Egypt, to visit Israel and to play with our team
in Tel Aviv.