Remarks at the Signing Ceremony of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty
(March 26, 1979)
PRESIDENT CARTER. During the past 30 years, Israel
and Egypt have waged war. But for the past 16 months, these same two
great nations have waged peace. Today we celebrate a victory—not
of a bloody military campaign, but of an inspiring peace campaign. Two
leaders who will loom large in the history of nations, President Anwar
al-Sadat and Prime Minister Menahem Begin, have conducted this campaign
with all the courage, tenacity, brilliance, and inspiration of any generals
who have ever led men and machines onto the field of battle.
At the end of this campaign, the soil of the two lands
is not drenched with young blood. The countrysides of both lands are
free from the litter and the carnage of a wasteful war. Mothers in Egypt
and Israel are not weeping today for their children fallen in senseless
battle. The dedication and determination of these two world statesmen
have borne fruit. Peace has come to Israel and to Egypt.
I honor these two leaders and their government officials
who have hammered out this peace treaty which we have just signed. But
most of all, I honor the people of these two lands whose yearning for
peace kept alive the negotiations which today culminate in this glorious
event.
We have won at last the first step of peace, a first
step on a long and difficult road. We must not minimize the obstacles
which still lie ahead. Differences still separate the signatories to
this treaty from one another, and also from some of their neighbors
who fear what they have just done. To overcome these differences, to
dispel these fears, we must rededicate ourselves to the goal of a broader
peace with justice for all who have lived in a state of conflict in
the Middle East.
We have no illusions—we have hopes, dreams, and
prayers, )'es, but no illusions.
There now remains the rest of the Arab world, whose
support and whose cooperation in the peace process is needed and honestly
sought. I am convinced that other Arab people need and want peace. But
some of their leaders are not yet willing to honor these needs and desires
for peace. We must now demonstrate the advantages of peace and expand
its benefits to encompass all those who have suffered so much in the
Middle East.
Obviously, time and understanding will be necessary
for people, hitherto enemies, to become neighbors in the best sense
of the word.
Just because a paper is signed, all the problems will
not automatically go away. Future days will require the best from us
to give reality to these lofty aspirations.
Let those who would shatter peace, who would callously
spill more blood, be aware that we three and all others who may join
us will vigorously wage peace.
So let history record that deep and ancient antagonism
can be settled without bloodshed and without staggering waste of precious
lives, without rapacious destruction of the land.
It has been said, and I quote, "Peace has one
thing in common with its enemy, with the fiend it battles, with war;
peace is active, not passive; peace is doing, not waiting; peace is
aggressive—attacking; peace plans its strategy and encircles the
enemy; peace marshals its forces and storms the gates; peace gathers
its weapons and pierces the defense; peace, like war, is waged."
It is true that we cannot enforce trust and cooperation
between nations, but we can use all our strength to see that nations
do not again go to war.
All our religious doctrines give us hope. In the Koran,
we read: "But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also
incline towards peace, and trust in God; for He is the One that heareth
and knoweth all things."
And the prophet Isaiah said: "Nations shall belt
their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks: nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more."
So let us now lay aside war. Let us now reward all
the children of Abraham who hunger for a comprehensive peace in the
Middle East. Let us now enjoy the adventure of becoming fully human,
fully neighbors, even brothers and sisters. We pray God, we pray God
together, that these dreams will come true. I believe they will.
Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT SADAT. President Carter, dear friends:
This is certainly one of the happiest moments in my
life. It is a historic turning point of great significance for all peace-loving
nations. Those among us who are endowed with vision cannot fail to comprehend
the dimensions of our sacred mission. The Egyptian people, with their
heritage and unique awareness of history, have realized from the very
beginning the meaning and value of this endeavor.
In all the steps I took, I was not performing a personal
mission. I was merely expressing the will of a nation. I'm proud of
my people and of belonging to them.
Today, a new dawn is emerging out of the darkness of
the past. A new chapter is being opened in the history of coexistence
among nations, one that's worthy of our spiritual values and civilization.
Never before had men encountered such a complex dispute, which is highly
charged with emotions. Never before did men need that much courage and
imagination to confront a single challenge. Never before had any cause
generated that much interest in all four corners of the globe.
Men and women of good will have labored day and night
to bring about this happy moment. Egyptians and Israelis alike pursued
their sacred goal, undeterred by difficulties and complications. Hundreds
of dedicated individuals on both sides have given generously of their
thought and effort to translate the cherished dream into a living reality.
But the man who performed the miracle was President
Carter. Without any exaggeration, what he did constitutes one of the
greatest achievements of our time. He devoted his skill, hard work and,
above all, his firm belief in the ultimate triumph of good against evil
to ensure the success of our mission.
To me he has been the best companion and partner along
the road to peace. With his deep sense of justice and genuine commitment
to human rights, we were able to surmount the most difficult obstacles.
There came certain moments when hope was eroding and
retreating in the face of crisis. However, President Carter remained
unshaken in his confidence and determination. He is a man of faith and
compassion. Before anything else, the signing of the peace treaty and
the exchanged letter is a tribute to the spirit and ability of Jimmy
Carter.
Happily, he was armed with the blessing of God and
the support of his people. For that we are grateful to each and every
American who contributed in his own way to the success of our endeavor.
We are also heartened by the understanding of hundreds
of thousands of Israelis who remained unwavering in their commitment
to peace. The continuation of this spirit is vital to the coronation
of our effort.
We realize that difficult times lay ahead. The signing
of these documents marks only the beginning of peace. But it is an indispensable
start. Other steps remain to be taken without delay or procrastination.
Much will depend on the success of these steps. We are all committed
to pursue our efforts until the fruits of the comprehensive settlement
we agreed upon are shared by all parties to the conflict.
President Carter once said that the United States is
committed without reservation to seeing the peace process through until
all parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict are at peace. We value such
a pledge from a leader who raised the banners of morality and ethics
as a substitute for power politics and opportunism.
The steps we took in the recent past will serve Arab
vital interests. The liberation of Arab land and the reinstitution of
Arab authority in the West Bank and Gaza would certainly enhance our
common strategic interests.
While we take the initiative to protect these interests,
we remain faithful to our Arab commitment. To us, this is a matter of
destiny. Pursuing peace is the only avenue which is compatible with
our culture and creed.
Let there be no more wars or bloodshed between Arabs
and Israelis—let there be no more wars or bloodshed between Arabs
and Israelis. Let there be no more suffering or denial of rights. Let
there be no more despair or loss of faith. Let no mother lament the
loss of her child. Let no young man waste his life on a conflict from
which no one benefits. Let us work together until the day comes when
they beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning
hooks. And God does call to the abode of peace. He does guide whom He
pleases to His way.
[At this point, President Sadat repeated the last two
sentences in Arabic.]
Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER BEGIN. Mr. President of the United States
of America; Mr. President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Mr. Vice President;
Mr. Speaker of the House of Representatives; Mr. Speaker of the Knesset;
Members of the Cabinets of the United States, of Egypt, and Israel;
Members of the Congress and the Knesset; Your Excellencies; chairman
of the board of governors of the Jewish Agency; chairman of the executive
of the Zionist Organization; Mrs. Gruber, the mother of the sons;1 distinguished
guests; ladies and gentlemen:
1 Rivka Gruber, an Israeli public figure since her
loss of two sons in the 1948 war of independence, and author of the
book "The Mother of the Sons."
I have come from the land of Israel, the land of Zion
and Jerusalem, and here I am in humility and with pride as a son of
the Jewish people, as one of the generation of the Holocaust and redemption.
The ancient Jewish people gave the world a vision of
eternal peace, of universal disarmament, of abolishing the teaching
and the learning of war.
Two prophets, Yishayahu Ben Amotz and Micah Hamorashti,
having foreseen the spiritual unity of man under God, with these words
coming forth from Jerusalem, gave the nations of the world the following
vision—expressed in identical terms—"And they shall
beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more."
Despite the tragedies and disappointments of the past,
we must never forsake that vision, that human dream, that unshakable
faith.
Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is
the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the
togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of man, the victory
of a just cause, the triumph of truth. Peace is all of these and more,
and more.
These are words I uttered in Oslo, on December 10,
1978, while receiving the second half of the Nobel Peace Prize. The
first half went, rightly so, to President Sadat. And I took the liberty
to repeat them here on this momentous, historic occasion.
It is a great day in the annals of two ancient nations,
Egypt and Israel, whose sons met in battle five times in one generation,
fighting and falling.
Let us turn our hearts to our heroes and pay tribute
to their eternal memory. It is thanks to them, to our fallen heroes,
that we could have reached this day.
However, let us not forget that in ancient times, our
two nations met also in alliance. Now we make peace, the cornerstone
of cooperation and friendship.
It is a great day in your life, Mr. President of the
United States. You have worked so hard. so insistently, so consistently
to achieve this goal. And your labors and our devotion bore Godblessed
fruit.
Our friend, President Sadat, said that you are the
unknown soldier of the peacemaking effort. I agree, but as usual, with
an amendment. [Laughter] A soldier in the service of peace, you are.
You are, Mr. President, even, mirabile dictu, an intransigent fighter
for peace. But Jimmy Carter, the President of the United States, is
not completely unknown. [Laughter] And so it is his efforts which will
be remembered and recorded by generations to come.
It is, of course, a great day in your life, Mr. President
of the Arab Republic of Egypt. In the face of adversity and hostility,
you have demonstrated the human value that can change history—civil
courage.
A great field commander once said, "Civil courage
is sometimes more difficult to show than military courage." You
showed both, Mr. President. But now it is time for all of us to show
civil courage in order to proclaim to our peoples and to others: No
more war, no more bloodshed, no more bereavement. Peace unto you, shalom,
salaam—forever.
And it is, ladies and gentlemen, the third greatest
day in my life. The first was May 14, 1948, when our flag was hoisted.
Our independence in our ancestors' land was proclaimed after 1,878 years
of dispersion, persecution, humiliation and, ultimately, physical destruction.
We fought for our liberation alone, and with God's
help, we won the day. That was spring. Such a spring we can never have
again.
The second day was when Jerusalem became one city and
our brave, perhaps most hardened soldiers, the parachutists, embraced
with tears and kissed the ancient stones of the remnants of the wall
destined to protect the chosen place of God's glory. Our hearts wept
with them in remembrance.
[In Hebrew] "Our feet shall stand within thy gates,
O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together."
[In English] This is the third day in my life. I have
signed a treaty of peace with our great neighbor, with Egypt. The heart
is full and overflowing. God gave me the strength to persevere, to survive
the horrors of Nazism and of the Stalinite concentration camp and some
other dangers, to endure, not to waver in nor flinch from my duty, to
accept abuse from foreigners and, what is more painful, from my own
people, and even from my close friends. This effort, too, bore some
fruit.
Therefore, it is the proper place and the appropriate
time to bring back to memory the song and prayer of thanksgiving I learned
as a child, in the home of father and mother that doesn't exist anymore,
because they were among the 6 million people—men, women, and children-who
sanctified the Lord's name with the sacred blood which reddened the
rivers of Europe from the Rhine to the Danube, from the Bug to the Volga,
because, only because they were born Jews, and because they didn't have
a country of their own, and neither a valiant Jewish army to defend
them, and because nobody, nobody came to their rescue, although they
cried out, "Save us, save us"—de profundis-"from
the depths of the pits and agony." That is the Song of Degrees,
written 2 millennia and 500 years ago, when our forefathers returned
from their first exile to Jerusalem and Zion.
[At this point, Prime Minister Begin spoke in Hebrew.]
I will not translate. Every man, whether Jew or Christian
or Moslem, can read it in his own language in the Book of the Books.
It is just Psalm 126.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |