Begin’s Rosh Hashanah Message

The following is Israeli Premier Menachem Begin’s Rash Hashanah message:

“We stand on the threshold of the New Year 5741 with hope and belief that our people’s ancient great human values will endure and triumph over the transient material considerations provided by oil these days. We are a small nation and we know our place in the world. We know what we can offer mankind. We also know the role we can and do play in the Middle East.

“The region in which we live and its periphery is now in turmoil. In Iran we have seen civilization itself endangered by the emergence of dark forces that have trampled underfoot the time-honored customs and traditions of international cooperation. We have seen the power of petro-dollars reduce even some democratic states to subservience and capitulation.

“This is a disturbing development for the shrinking free democratic world. We must stand together in the face of the Soviet thrust into the four corners of the globe for control of strategic and material assets. After Angola and Mozambique, Ethiopia and South Yemen, Vietnam and Cambodia it would be foolhardy to ignore the implications of their operations in Afghanistan, as a result of which the Soviet army could reach the Indian Ocean through Baluchistan. The whole free world is in danger; liberty itself is in peril.

“For our part we have done all in our power to advance the cause of peace in our region. We faithfully carried into effect every commitment that we undertook in the peace treaty with Egypt. We have made great sacrifices for peace–an ideal which is not easily obtainable and, therefore, we must pursue it with determination and patience.

WILL NOT DEVIATE FROM CAMP DAVID

“We have the profound satisfaction that it was we who originally proposed autonomy for the Arab inhabitants of Judaea, Samaria and the Gaza district. We have stated and reiterated our readiness to fulfill the letter and spirit of the second part of the Camp David agreement, dealing with this autonomy, and not to deviate from it by one iota. We are in no way responsible for the periodic interruptions and suspensions of the negotiations–all of them caused by the Egyptian government–and earnestly call on our friends and partners likewise to abide by the original agreements.

“As usual, the world has overreacted to our reaffirmation of an existing truth–that Jerusalem is united, the capital of our State, an indivisible city with complete freedom of access to the holy shrines of all religions guaranteed by law for all time. Any proposal which may either directly or indirectly bring about the redivision or repartition of Jerusalem will be rejected by all our people, for we stand by the unity of Jerusalem for ever and ever.

“From this city, eternal Yerushalayim, I send you, my dear brethren and sisters, greetings for a happy New Year 5741. With God’s help may it be a year of continuing advance towards peace a year of improvement in the economic situation of our country and its individual citizens, a year of growing aliya from the East and the West to the Land of our Forefathers. May this Rosh Hashanah usher in a year of happiness and freedom, strength, security and dignity for all the House of Israel.”