Israel and Egypt will exchange instruments of ratification early next week to put their peace treaty into effect in accordance with international law. Next month, they will declare their borders open and begin the further process of implementation, Premier Menachem Begin announced here today.
Begin addressed the news media after a meeting with President Anwer Sadat at the Kubbeh Palace where the two leaders agreed on the timetables for ratification and implementation. Begin embarked on his return flight to Israel this afternoon, ending a 28-hour stay in the Egyptian capital that he described as “most successful.” (See separate story.)
The Premier, with Sadat at his side, told reporters that E1 Arish, the administrative capital of Sinai, will be returned to Egyptian sovereignty on May, 26 and that he and Sadat would meet there on the following day. “I was invited by Sadat to visit him at E1 Arish on May 27 and from there we shall go by helicopter to Beersheba and then back to E1 Arish,” Begin said. “We shall declare there the open borders and set a free flying course for Israeli and Egyptian air lines. Open air routes and open borders.”
Sadat noted that he and Begin have agreed to maintain direct personal contact. “It is time for that,” he said, adding that he was “more than satisfied” with the results of his talks with the Israeli leader.
GHALL COMING TO ISRAEL, DAYAN GOING TO EGYPT
The ratification process will be completed promptly. Begin said that next Sunday or Monday, Egypt’s Acting Foreign Minister Boutros Ghall, will fly to Israel with a copy of the peace treaty ratified by Egypt. At about the same time, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan will bring the Israel-ratified copy to Cairo. About a month later, the joint Israeli-Egyptian political and military committees will begin to function. They will meet alternately at E1 Arish and Beersheba order the rotating chairmanship of the Israeli and Egyptian foreign and defense ministers.
“You see, we have achieved great progress in our meeting today with Sadat,” Begin told the news media. “We have decided to give the national an example that even after many years of hatred it is possible to shift to friendly relations, to good neighborly relations, “he said, Sadat said that he and Begin wanted to telephone President Carter this morning to inform him of their agreement but the hoot was too early by American time, so they decided to call him later.
Begin lunched at Tahara Palace before leaving for Israel. Cairo Airport presented a festive scene, much the same as when Begin arrived there yesterday. But the atmosphere was for more relaxed and there was less protocol and more human warmth evident at the farewell ceremonies.
SOCIAL HIGHLIGHT OF VISIT.
The social highlight of Begin’s visit was a gola dinner in his honor, hosted by Sadat at the Presidential Palace last night. Both leaders were in a cheerful mood and carefully avoided controversial issues. Sadat called for “good neighborliness” and repeatedly declared, “No war again.” Begin noted that Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem in November, 1977 was “the turning point in the history of the Middle East” and he, too, repeated the slogan, “No more war.” He pledged full cooperation between Israel and Egypt as an example to other nations of the “blessings of peace.”
Begin said, “In my opinion, Egypt and Israel never had conflicting interests….We have and can develop a community of interests….The Middle East, the cradle of civilization, can be made a shining modern example of peaceful development,” he said.
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.
