FBIS Coverage of the Middle East Peace Talks- 1978 September

PPROVED F.O R RELEASE CIAHISTORICAL COLLECTIONS DIVISI N AR 70-14 13NOV201
- -9 Sep 78 i 13 ISRAEL'
And after we ended a night talk with President Carter and we told him, we cannot under any
circumstancestake on ourselves a commitment to disband the settlements, we must bring
this matter to the Knesset for decision, we formulated the resolution three times. The
first draft written by PIr Carter said that the Knesset would decide on the moving back of
the settlements. We said no. That small, large word--no. Because had it been written
that the Knesset would decide on the moving back of the settlements, we already would be
hinting about the contents of the resolution. He proposed that we write "the future"
in English]. We said no-to this, too. There is a hint in this, too, although a firmer
or.e regarding the settlement. We agreed that he would write "the issue" [in English]--
the problem would be decided by the Knesset. And after we had agreed on this, it was.
already midnight. The President asked us, he asked me a very interesting question, as
follows: .And maybe, Mr Prime Minister, you could not take part in that debate? Then Dayan
and I nearly burst out laughing. He asked: Why are you laughing? So Dayan told him the
story. That initiative came from the prime minister, but I told him: no, it is nog
possible, a prime minister must take part in this debate. And so it was. And had they
accepted that idea in Israel, we would have had two votings this evening, one on the two
agreements which were signed in the White House and the second, completely separate, on the
settlements.
returned home Friday afternoon and I also read back papers, particularly those of Fr:.da,
and I read and I was shocked. Sometimes in life such a case occurs to one of us. I.do no;
u.derstand how it comes. A sort of country fell on his head. Who knew? A complete surp:-ise.
.=:d I read article after article, in nearly all the papers. Can it be? The same man.
This is my day, the day of the prime minister. He wants to split the work into two. He
will bring a peace proposal, but the second job, 'the not-so-clean job, of deciding on the
removal of the settlements--that the members of Knesset will do for him, and especially
the members of the opposition. It is not nice. How do the sabras put it: . it is not fair.
How do the Hebrews say: It is not honest. How could it be? I read all those articles and
I said to myself, following the well-known verse from the Bible: Will I run away? And so,
we consulted and we said: We will not run away from any campaign. We will not get out of
an; responsibility. You, if you. want to separate between the two votings, we will accept it.
We will write one draft resolution, and then came the question of what to write.
iow I would like to tell the members of the Knesset--on this side where I have opponents
and those on the other side, where I have supporters, and on that side, where I have both
supporters and opponents: I have named all, from the factions of the house--very simple
things: What constitutes the cabinetts responsibility, and also what I had said at the time,
you remember, MK Rabin, after Entebbe, what is the .slightly larger resporsibility of the
prize inister. The choice is one of two.
IDi-Ing the previous session, someone interjected saying that this is a so-called ultimatum
to the Knesset. This is not true, but I am explaining reality to you: ii we today do not .
mak.e a clear, distinct decision which is not questioned, no negotiations for peace il
begin and everything agreed up'on at Camp David, will be null and void. This is not what'I
presume or how I estimate; t is written; null and void. This is w: : i written. Ie
.e otiations will ot start, this is the choice. There is no th'ird possibility. This is no
ultimatum, my friends, this is the explanation of reality. Each ne'ber of the Knesset rust
.realize it and not have any illusions.
i.