Israel must soften stand or face war in five years—Sadat

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 6

Israel must soften stand or face war in five years—Sadat

NZP A Suez President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, in his second tough speech in two days, has said Egypt will go to war to liberate occupied territory unless Israel softens its stand on his proposed terins for a Middle East peace settlement.

“We will liberate our lands if Israel continues its attitude and its misunderstanding of the spirit of the peace initiative," Mr Sadat told units of the 3rd Army ii. the canal city of Suez. He disclosed that he had turned down an Israeli offer last March for a separate peace pact with Egypt. President Sadat said the Israeli offer to trade the Sinai Desert for a separate peace pact with Egypt was made by the Israeli Defence Minister (Mr Ezer Weizman) during a visit to Cairo. He said he told the Israeli Minister: “Sorry, Sinai is not a problem. I want to reach a comprehensive solution. A unilateral agreement will not achieve peace.” President Sadat said he. also told Mr Weizman that even if Israel concluded agreements with Egypt. t Syria, and lordan — but without solving the Palestinian problem — “I expect that we will go to war again after five years.” Asked by reporters after ( the latest speech whether he really meant hi: war threat. President Sadat said it was up to them to draw their own conclusions. Since the start of his peace overture last Novem-, her. the Egyptian leader has repeatedly insisted that he would not sign a separate agreement with Israel. He has said that Israel wants a unilateral pact, but his reference to Mr Weiz-i man was the first time he has named an Israeli leader as proposing a separate deal between the two countries. President Sadat said he told Mr Weizman that Egypt wanted to make the 1973 war the last one. President Sadat, touring the canal zone on the tnird anniversary of the reopening of the waterway, had already told officers and men of the 2nd Army on Tuesday

• | that they would have to “complete the battle of liber- ' ation if it becomes imperative as a result of Israel’s failure to understand the spirit behind the initiative.” He said: “We are prepared to give Israel peace and security but not a single inch lof our land or sovereignty.” In Jerusalem, United Press I International reported, Israel’s reply was that Mr Sadat's speech was creating “a warlike atmosphere” but! added that Tel Aviv was J committed to negotiate a! peace accord with Egypt. “We express regrets about I such statements but the Is-1 . raeli Government is convinced that the peace pro-| j cess must continue,” said a I high-ranking Government! ; source. . “Such expressions create a warlike atmosphere and there is no need for it.” The Israeli Prime Minister ; (Mr Menachem Begin), whose peace offers have , fallen way short of Arab de- : mands, came under heavy J fire yesterday from hawkish ; members of his own Likud ’ bloc party and activists!

pressing for more Jewish i settlements in occupied Arab 1 lands. Moshe Shamir, one of the ! loudest advocates of territorial expansion and an opponent of Mr Begin’s stated policy to limit new Jewish settlements until a peace is forged, said the Government must come up with a new settlement policy. “We are dealing with a Hitler on the banks of the Nile River,” said Mr Shamir, referring to Mr Sadat’s gloomy speech to his soldiers. “We are deeply disappointed with the Government for all it has not done,” said Hanan Porat, a leader of the Gush Emunim movement, which advocates extensive Jewish settlement , on the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River and elsewhere. President Sadat said he would be prepared to resume peace talks with Israeli if it produced any worth-1 while new ideas. Direct} Egyptian-Israeli peace negotiations have been suspended; I since last January because! lof what Cairo considers Israeli intransigence. ! The semi-official Cairo i daily, “Al-Ahram,” has desIcribed as “a new fallacy” Israel’s view that Mr Sadat’s ; remarks constituted another ,obstacle in the path of peace. “The Israeli Government land the entire world fully j realise that President Sadat |meant exactly what he said that the October (1973) war; should be the last of wars,; provided Israel responded to! the peace initiative,” “AlAhram” said. “But until today, Israel has put all obstacles in the! path of peace, imagining I that Egypt would remain; indifferent towards Israelii intransigence,” the newspaper said.