[IWE] will disgree on the sadat comment

[D. Scott Katzer]

Hi Bill and All,

William Oxley wrote:
> http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/sadat_speech.html

I don't think that the excerpt you posted is the most important one.  Of 
course, Egypt and Israel talked, in the past, before Sadat went to 
Jerusalem.

The issue is, after the 1973 War - which many argue that Sadat started 
to prove to Israel that he had to be dealt with - did he go to Israel 
and have substantive Head of State/Head of Government meetings without 
preconditions?

Earlier in his speech, cited above, he said:

--- begin cut ---

I do not blame all those who received my decision when I announced it to
the entire world before the Egyptian People's Assembly. I do not blame
all those who received my decision with surprise and even with
amazement, some gripped even by violent surprise. Still others
interpreted it as political, to camouflage my intentions of launching a
new war.

I would go so far as to tell you that one of my aides at the
presidential office contacted me at a late hour following my return home
from the People's Assembly and sounded worried as he asked me: "Mr.
President, what would be our reaction if Israel actually extended an
invitation to you?"

I replied calmly: "I would accept it immediately. I have declared that I
would go to the end of the earth. I would go to Israel, for I want to
put before the people of Israel all the facts...." No one could have
ever conceived that the president of the biggest Arab state, which bears
the heaviest burden and the main responsibility pertaining to the cause
of war and peace in the Middle East, should declare his readiness to go
to the land of the adversary while we were still in a state of war.

We all still bear the consequences of four fierce wars waged within 30
years. All this at the time when the families of the 1973 October war
are still mourning under the cruel pain of bereavement of father, son,
husband and brother.

As I have already declared, I have not consulted as far as this decision
is concerned with any of my colleagues or brothers, the Arab heads of
state or the confrontation states.

Most of those who contacted me following the declaration of this
decision expressed their objection because of the feeling of utter
suspicion and absolute lack of confidence between the Arab states and
the Palestine people on the one hand and Israel on the other that still
surges in us all.

Many months in which peace could have been brought about have been
wasted over differences and fruitless discussions on the procedure of
convening the Geneva conference. All have shared suspicion and absolute
lack of confidence.

But to be absolutely frank with you, I took this decision after long
thought, knowing that it constitutes a great risk, for God Almighty has
made it my fate to assume responsibility on behalf of the Egyptian
people, to share in the responsibility of the Arab nation, the main duty
of which, dictated by responsibility, is to exploit all and every means
in a bid to save my Egyptian Arab people and the pan-Arab nation from
the horrors of new suffering and destructive wars, the dimensions of
which are foreseen only by God Himself.

--- end cut ---

That was the underlying context of the question to Obama.  Sadat was 
willing to take a risk to push peace with Israel forward.  It wasn't 
willing to settle for a "Peace Process" that has dragged on for decades. 
   :-(  And it all started with him being willing to talk to Israel 
without preconditions.

>> Palin is not on the same page, she's off in another building 
>> somewhere..."
> 
> along with the rest of the republican party and a large amount of 
> democrats I suspect.

Perhaps.  Part of leadership is being willing to lead when it's not 
immediately popular.  ;-)

Cheers,
Scott.