Israeli Premier Menachem Begin cautioned today that the Israeli media should not overemphasize the possibility of a separate Israeli-Egyptian agreement as a result of the Camp David summit conference agreements. Begin said that such emphasis would only weaken and embarrass Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. He observed that the agreement on the Sinai is the first stage of peace with Egypt.
Begin spoke with Hebrew-language media representatives at his suite in the Washington Hilton Hotel. The news conference was broadcast live to Israel. Besides disclosing that the United States will build two new airfields in southern Israel to replace Israel’s withdrawal from bases in Egypt under the agreement, Begin spoke of other factors of the summit agreements.
He stressed that there are no secret agreements. He said he will present all documents related to the summit to the Knesset which must rule within two weeks on the future of the Rafah salient and their Israeli settlements in the Sinai. Negotiations between Israel and Egypt regarding the Sinai will be on the ministerial leval and no site has yet been decided upon for it, he said. He indicated that the first Israeli withdrawal in Sinai would include an area on a line that took in the salient near El Arish.
In a departure from interpretations by American spokesmen, Begin said that only Israeli troops would be on the West Bank and Gaza. No foreign forces would be there. The Americans had said United Nations or other foreign troops might be stationed there. The Israeli Premier pointed out that no commitment has been made on the future of Jewish settlements on the West Bank. The agreement calls only for no new settlements during the period of negotiations, he noted.
With regard to the Knesset’s action on the settlements in the Sinai, Begin said he favored a free vote as far as his party is concerned and that he personally would not vote on the matter. He said he expects an exchange of ambassadors within a year between Israel and Egypt but that no invitation has come from Sadat for him to visit Cairo. But Begin added that he expects one.
Begin spoke warmly of Sadat, noting that last night, after the agreements had been reached, he asked to visit Sadat in his lodge at Camp David where they had a nice friendly talk. Sadat autographed a photograph of himself, Begin and Carter for Begin’s children. Later, Sadat came to Begin’s lodge and had a long talk.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
