The Knesset overwhelmingly approved the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty by a 95-18 majority in a pre-dawn vote this morning that marked the end of the longest debate in its history. There were two abstentions and five MKs did not participate in the balloting. The debate over the treaty had lasted 28 hours, beginning Tuesday morning and ending at 4.a.m. local time today, during which 108 of the 120 members spoke from the rostrum. The transcript of the proceedings filled more than 1000 pages.
Premier Menachem Begin, weary but jubilant over the results, offered his personal congratulations to President Anwar Sadat of Egypt “for his courage to decide to make the step toward peace despite the pack of wolves around him from Damascus and Baghdad.” Addressing “the great Egyptian people, “Begin said: “Let us open a new page and let it be a real turning point in our lives and in the life of the Egyptian people so that we achieve the common goal.”
CARTER CONGRATULATES KNESSET
President Carter, in a message of congratulations from the White House this morning, said:
“The Israeli Knesset spoke with a voice heard around the world today — a voice for peace. We welcome this historic decision. The overwhelming vote in favor of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt affirms the deep and long-felt desire of the people of Israel for peace with their neighbors In taking this action, Israel’s democracy has lived up to its promise, providing a free and open discussion of all the issues, and then deciding in favor of peace.
“The bonds of shared values and common purpose between the United States and Israel are strong and enduring. The achievement of peace between Israel and Egypt will strengthen even more our relations with these two partners in peace, and help move toward a stable, cooperative, and peaceful future for all the peoples of the Middle East.”
THE LINEUP OF VOTES
The lopsided majority in favor of the treaty was not unexpected. The only surprise in the voting came when Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon, who has long opposed the negotiations with Egypt and voted against the treaty at Monday’s Cabinet meeting, raised his hand in favor of the pact. He said he did so because he believes the government understands the seriousness of the trial Israel faces and stressed the need to strengthen the defense forces “if we have to send our sons to the front once more.”
Seven members. of Begin’s Likud Party voted against the treaty: Geula Cohen, Yigal Cohen Orgad; Yigal Cohen, Yigael Hurwitz; Moshe Shamir; Yosef Rom; and Moshe Arens, the chairman of the Knesset’s foreign Affairs and Security Committee.
Four negative votes were cast by members of the National Religious Party, Begin’s coalition partner: Sara Stern-Katan; Haim Druckman; Eliezer Avtabi; and Ben-Zion Rubin Of the other coalition factions, only Binyamin Halevi of the Democratic Movement and Kalman Kahane of the Poale Agudat Israel voted against the treaty. All five members of the pro-Moscow Rakah Communist Party voted against the treaty: Tawfik Zayyad, Tawfik Toubi Hanna Weiss, Charlie Biton and Meir Wilner.
Yitzhak Shamir, Speaker of the Knesset and Eitan Livni; both of Likud, abstained. The non-participants included Shoshana Arbeli-Almoslino, Amos Hadar and Shlomo Hillel, all members of the Labor Party. Likud MK Ronni Milo did not attend the session because of the death of his father yesterday. Also absent was Likud MK Shmuel Rechtman who is serving a jail sentence for bribery.
CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE
In his closing speech, Begin renewed his long-distance exchange with Egyptian Prime Minister Mustapha Khalil who had criticized his opening remarks Tuesday that Israel would never return to its 1967 borders, never accept a Palestinian state or a divided Jerusalem. “The Premier of Egypt cannot really believe that on the eve of the signing of the (peace) agreement he can speak one-sidedly of the need to return Jerusalem and establish a Palestinian state. One cannot hurt the deepest feelings of the Jewish people and expect us to keep silent. “Begin said. He urged Khalil to observe a verbal armistice.
Defense Minister Ezer Weizman who played one of the key roles in the 16 months of tortuous negotiations with Egypt, said in his closing speech that he had no doubt that the Egyptian people want peace. He expressed confidence that even if President Sadat no longer governed Egypt, the present leadership in that country would continue in his steps. He added that the military annexes to the treaty provide Israel with the necessary elements to ensure her security.
Former Premier Yitzhak Rabin and former foreign Minister Yigal Allon made the closing statements for the Labor opposition. Both gave their blessings to the peace treaty although they said they would have preferred territorial compromise on the West Bank based on the “Allon plan.” Robin praised Begin for his personal achievements in bringing the treaty to a successful conclusion and said the agreement would stand on its own feet But, he observed, events during the first year after the signing would determine the prospects for a lasting peace.
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.
