FBIS Coverage of the Middle East Peace Talks- 1978 September

V. 19 Sep 78 . N 21 ,SRAE
PPROVED FOR RELEASE CIA HISTORICAL C LECTIONS DIVISION AR 70-14 13NOV201
Begin nterviewed
TA182105Y Jerusalem Domestic Television Service in Hebrew 1900 GMT 18 Sep 78 TA
[Interview with Prime Minister Menahem Begin by correspondents Dan Shilon and Eli Nissan .
in Washington--videotaped]
[Text] First, a special interview with the prime minister. Mr Begin says that it is not
true that Israel has agreed to a joint Jordanian-Israeli rule over Judaea and Samaria and
-that the- only army that will be in Judaea and Samaria even after the period of 5. years
will be the IDF. At the same time, the prime minister recommended having joint Jordanian-
Israeli guards to guard the border. Mr Begin says that there is no total freezing of
settlement, but that in the next 3 months no new settlements will be established.
In a special interview with our U.S. correspondents Eli Nissan and Dan Shilon, the prime
minister says: I am a lover of Eretz Yisratel. I shall always love the Gush Emunitm
members, even if they demonstrate against me. Here is the interview with -Prime Minister
Menahem Begin as it took place today in Washington. [begin videotape]
[Shilon] Mr Prime Minis.ter, can we celebrate already?
[Begin] To a certain extent, yes. There is no question that a shift has taken place
in the relations between .us and Egypt, and there is hope that such a shift hill also take
place with other Arab countries. However, not entirely; we still have time--several
months--to negotiate on the actual peace treaties between ourselves and Egypt. As I
said last night at the reception in the White House, I proposed to President as-Sadat
maybe to make that period shorter. However, the reason to celebrate is mainly linked
to what is called framework for making peace between ourselves and Egypt, which includes
almost all the articles of the peace treaty, except for the settlement issue. As you
-kow, we have announced that on this matter only the Knesset will decide, because only -
it is authorized to decide. However, I have also told President Carter--and he was happy
to receive this announcement--that the vote in the Knesset will be'totally free, and we
will not, impose any partisan discipline: neither by the coalition, nor--I hope--by the
opposition. Every Knesset member will vote according to his conviction and his conscience:
one way or the other. The majority will rule,. and the majority's decision will be accepted
by all and will be carried out. -
(Nissan] Mr-Begin, I understand that you are expecting a bitter discussion at the
Knesset, a sharp debate on this question, which is, of-course; a sensitive question. -
What will your personal stance be during the debate, or the vote?
[Begin] First of all, I am not expecting any sharp debate, and second, you must know that
I am accustomed to sharp debates in the Knesset and that they do not frighten me.
No, I shall for now refrain from saying what my position will be,. I still have to consider
whether I shall actually participate in the debate. At-CampDavid I weighed things and
have expressed this opinion of.mine to the foreign minister, that perhaps, in order to
insure that the vote in the Knesset will be totally independent, I will prefer to remain -
silent and not try to influence the Knesset members. However, I muist admit that. I have
not, yet made up my mind .
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