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 17 EGYPT
[As-Sadat] Well, for me it is not yet right but for sure we shall iue conside::ing
our discussion and our meetings. As you have heard, there will be a committee here
and a committee there, and gradually we shall be in a position to reach agreement upon
all what you already said.
(Begin] Mr Abie Nathan, I fear the day the president agrees to exchange sportsmen on
both sides. Do something to strengthen our team of football. [laughter]
[ Question] I am Hanna Zemer of the DAVAR, Tel Aviv. Maybe I should be allowed two
questions instead of one question and one speech. May I ask, Mr President, in view
of the differences which seem to emerge from your respective statements on the Pales-
. tinian issue, be assured, do you envisage the possibility of a settlement or an agree-
ment should let us say, on an interim basis being somewhat less than peace?
[As-Sadat] I can't get you. What do you mean by agreement, interim agreement?
[Question] What I meant is, in view of the differences that I thought emerged from
your respective statements, do you feel that those differences have a very good
chance to be overcome in the committees, and would you consider a settlement which
is not full peace if you do not overcome those differences?
[As-Sadat] The differences should be overcome in the committees. This is the fact.
But the second part of your question?
[Question] Do you believe you can overcome them, and is there a good chance to
overcome them:
[As-Sadat] For sure.
[Question] You do not look for an alternative for a full peace treaty?
[As-Sadat] I must tell you this: As I have already stated before the Knesset, this
time we are not either for a disengagement agreement or partial agreement, like you
said, to reach some stages and then postpone other steps after that. No, this time
we are for peace, genuine peace, comprehensive settlement.
[Begin] May I answer Mrs Hanna Zemer? As the president and I agreed that there is no
alternative to peace.
[Question] Thank you very much. May I ask then a very short question? Mr President,
we have encountered very much kindness and friendliness by our colleagues here and by
the people of Egypt whom we met on the streets. Some of our journalists have been here
for a couple of weeks. They all say the same thing. And in view of this very abrupt
change from enmity and distrust to friendliness and to trust, how do you explain this
abrupt switch, and is it not sort of inexplicable and does it not arouse a fear that
you can reverse by a push of the button the same thing, the same process?
[As-Sadat] Well, let me tell you this. It is not abrupt. It has been in the subcon-
sciousness of all of us. When I made my step I, in my calculations, really I knew
that my people will agree to it, but I never thought that they will go to this extent.
It is a natural feeling, and there is no fear at all of a revival of any, I mean,
anything that has happened in the past.