FBIS Coverage of the Middle East Peace Talks: 1977 December

C'
PPROVED FOR RELEASE CIA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS DIVISION AR 70-14 13NOV201
V. 27 Dec 77 D 18 EGYPT
[Question] Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, has understanding reached such a point
that it might justify mutual troop reduction in Sinai? Or if I may put it in a more
human term: Can I tell my boy that he will soon be home?
[As-Sadat] You mean about the withdrawal?
[Question] What I mean is, you have stressed in Jerusalem no more wars. Now you have
progressively reached a close understanding. But does it now justify a reduction of
troop deployment in Sinai?
[As-Sadat] Well, let us hope that in a few weeks we shall be in a position to report.
[Question] Could I ask the prime minister concerning this?
[Begin] On this issue?
[Question) Yes.
[Begin] We hope that when peace comes, both countries--all countries of the Middle East--
will be able to reduce their military forces and expenditure, which eats up our substance,
and rather devote our sources and resources to liquidation of poverty through development
of agriculture and industry. This is our common aim.
[Question) I was asking about troop reduction at this stage.
[Begin] I answered you that we do hope for the possibility of reducing troops on all
sides.
[Question] Thank you.
[Question] My name is Victor (Siegelman). I am representing Paris NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR.
The question to Prime Minister Begin is the following: On what moral grounds do you think,
Mr Begin, are you denying the Palestinian people of the West Bank and Gaza their right to
self-determination? And to Mr President as-Sadat, I would like to ask: On what moral
grounds do you think you can negotiate about the future of the Palestinian.people with
Mr Begin without the presence of any Palestinian representative whatsoever? Thank you.
[Begini] One correction, my friend: I belong to the Palestinian people, because I am a
Palestinian Jew, and there are Palestinian Arabs. And of course we want to live in human
dignity, in liberty , in justice, in equality of rights. And then, therefore, I brought
to the president a proposal of self-rule for the first time in the history of the Palestin-
ian.Arabs. Now we established the political committee. We stated our positions clearly.
And the political committee will continue the discussion of this very serious problem.
[As-Sadat] Well, what we are discussing really is in the Arab strategy that we have
agreed upon in the Arab summit conferences. But in the details, I shall not--I mean--
negotiate for the Palestinians. They should take their share. But in this Arab strategy,
what I am doing really, I am not speaking for myself, but for this strategy in its
principles. But I shall not put myself as a spokesman for them or speak for them. They
should in the next. stage join.