Barbara Walters interviews Prime Minister Begin on “ABC” about the progress of the peace process with Egypt, the meaning of Palestinian Arab autonomy, reactions to the Iranian hostage crisis and the Olympic Games in Moscow. He closes with how he wishes to be remembered.
Begin writes a response to a letter doubting Begin’s peace efforts. The original letter suggests Begin to go to the polls and argues that if he does not have majority support, he should no longer remain Prime Minister. Begin’s response letter first acknowledges that Israel is not just a country for its residents, but also a country belonging to Diaspora Jews. He also says that a national election is an internal issue. Then Begin talks about how his campaign in the 1977 national election focused on “the political-security problems and the socioeconomic problems.” Israelis voted for Begin fully aware of his political-security visions. Begin talks about how he takes his duty as Prime Minister seriously and it’s his responsibility to strengthen Israel’s security. Begin believes that strengthening Israel’s security means having peace with its neighbors. He claims that the original letter’s idea of security would lead to permanent bloodshed and thus, threaten Israel’s existence.
Begin accuses Prime Minister Rabin of governing from a place of Anti-Semitism, rather than love for Israel. He argues that having more Likud members in the Knesset would be beneficial. He also acknowledges the importance of parties working together for the good of the Israeli people.
Begin reacts to being regarded as an extremist by Rabin during a Knesset meeting by publishing segments of the speech that was criticized as extreme. He discusses the event in Hebron in which Jewish people while they were praying were dragged from the synagogue on Government orders to show that this event was extreme, and his words were not. He turns the tables and accuses members of the Labor Party of being extremists themselves in the sense that they are willing to give up Israeli territory.
Begin exposes that in the Koenig Document, it was proposed that the Labour Party create a sister party to attract Arabs. He blames the Labour Party for being selfish and not keeping the good of Israel in it’s best interests and not taking responsibility for it’s mistakes. He reminds Rabin of the Interim Peace Agreement with Egypt. He critizes Rabin’s recurring question of “Either peace or nothing?”
