I was pleased to come to Beit Zarzir.  I have been here many times, and was happy to see the tremendous development.  I hope that this beautiful path we built here (the Beit Zarzir Promenade) will not confuse the senses of the trackers.

Thank you for your warm words.  For some reason, I felt as if I am in the midst of an election campaign.  I would like to make it clear to you and to all who are here:  I do not plan to hold elections.  I intend to implement the plan which I am carrying through now, and no elections are necessary for that.

As I said before, I am happy to visit Beit Zarzir.  I attach great importance to cementing the ties between all of Israel’s citizens.  The political move I am pushing forward – the Disengagement Plan, which will be fully carried out by next year, should contribute to cementing our ties.

The key to reaching a political settlement and peace is the eradication of terror.  As long as terror continues to strike us – I do not see how we can move forward.  This is the key – the eradication of terror.  The Bedouin sector, and Beit Zarzir especially, play a significant role in that.  As the Bedouins contribute to our security, I believe that they will also contribute to peace.

(To Hassan El-Heib, the Head of the Council:)  I must say, I always listen to your claims, complaints and demands, and you have not stopped demanding, even for a moment – and, with time, your demands have also been answered – had you not bothered us ceaselessly, we might have ignored some problems.  Undoubtedly, great progress has been made.  (I also wish to thank this group of dancers which is really good. Thank you).

Since I assumed office, I have attached great importance to attending to the needs of minority sectors in general and the Bedouin sector specifically.  It is not for nothing that the only ministerial committee I decided to head thus personally following up on the implementation of the decisions of the committee, is the ministerial committee for the non-Jewish sector.  Last January, this committee received a comprehensive development plan, in the amount of NIS 172 million, for the Bedouin towns in the north for 2004-5.  Regrettably, following the budgetary economic troubles, the plans cannot always be fully implemented.  However, we are making every effort to advance those plans.

The Prime Minister’s Office oversees every aspect of this plan’s implementation.  Last week, the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Ilan Cohen, who sits here, met with you and your representatives in order to follow-up on the implementation of the decision and the advancement of relevant plans.

I directed to prioritize the development of towns – housing, developing and expanding existing neighborhoods as well as establishing new neighborhoods.  In this regard, we have been working non-stop with the Israel Lands Authority and the Ministry of Housing and Construction.  As a result, tomorrow the budgetary application for these plans, in the amount of NIS 26 million, will be raised in the finance committee.

One central aspect, which is of great importance to the development of towns, is the development of sewage infrastructure.  I have been told that so far permits have been issued in the amount of NIS 45 million.

In addition, I instructed the Minister of the Interior and the Director General of his Ministry to prioritize as much as possible the Bedouin sector regarding recovery plans and assistance to local authorities.

Another aspect I wish to emphasize is assistance to the younger generation, including the issue of released soldiers, while emphasizing the fields of education and employment.  In this context, plans were formulated and budgets were allocated for a variety of programs such as industrial areas, professional training, land development and increasing participation in government positions.  I hope, Distinguished Chairman of the Council, that you will also leave a few positions for Jews.

(I know it is warm here – because of the atmosphere of genuine friendship as well as because of the heat.  I know I contributed and assisted in building this structure, but did you not ask for a fan?)

Despite the fact that it is quite warm and you have been sitting here for quite some time, I would like to talk about the issue of peace and our relations and coexistence.  First, since I was a child on the Moshav where I was born, I never thought for moment that Jews and Arabs would not live together here.  It was clear to me that they live side by side, and would live side by side, and there is no other option than living together.  Therefore, we must create that same atmosphere which will enable coexistence.

This thing (our relations and coexistence) is something which everyone should demand.  We live in a complex democracy.  It includes Jews and Arabs, Haredim and the religious, the secular – it includes all groups and sectors.  It obligates an effort, and in order to achieve coexistence – and this too I have said to you several times – we can do two things: first – all must abide by the law – Jews, Arabs, Bedouins and Druze – everyone.  The law must be fully observed by everyone.  Second, justice must be served.

If we succeed in adhering to these things – law and justice, we will be able to live together.  We have no choice but to live side by side and I know this is possible.  In any event, my actions are intended to bring about and create a situation in which we can coexist.
I feel that approximately 25 years ago we were closer to peace than we are now.  Of course, terror ruined it.  As long as terror continues, we will not be able to do much.

But I must tell you a little story about the way in which I viewed peace.  It was 1981, I was in Cairo.  At the time, I was there as Minister of Agriculture, but the relations then, due to the circumstances – Ezer Weizman’s resignation, and so forth – were furthered through the Ministries of Agriculture on both sides.  I visited and met with the late President Sadat, and he spoke of his vision of agricultural development in Egypt.  Egyptian experts were present, who were excellent farmers, and then Sadat said: we have land, we have water and we have Sharon.

Sadat brought out a large map, and we found ourselves kneeling over the map and explained to me the development areas he wanted us to create – development areas in the western desert.  He asked me if I was ready to tour that area.  Naturally, I accepted the invitation.

Early the next morning, I reported to the airport.  In front of me I saw pilots who approached and said: “We are the pilots who will be taking you on your tour”, and at the same time told me that we had met before and that they had taken part in the massive aerial attack on my forces after we crossed the Canal.  That was one very difficult day, the 18th of October.  It was heaviest Egyptian aerial attack on our bridgehead.  And one told me he was even shot down by us, although he managed to parachute into Egyptian territory.

We entered the plane.  I sat between the two pilots in the navigator’s seat and held the map on my knees as we flew to the western desert.  I looked out and told them to descend and turn and thought to myself: “Imagine, such a short time after the war and an Israeli Minister – an Israeli General who crossed the channel, a crossing which constituted a turning point in the war as well as the peace to come – is sitting between two Egyptian pilots who both participated in the massive attack on our forces and we are searching for an area to grow food, a search for agricultural areas which would allow the expansion of food production in order to nourish the population.”

I must admit, that on the one hand I looked at this interesting and unique land and on the other hand I thought to myself that if there exists a situation in which a Jewish IDF General and Minister from Jerusalem can fly with Egyptian pilots who used to be fighter pilots, who only few years before had attack out forces with their full might – this, in my opinion, is genuine peace.  This is how I perceived peace.

Many years have passed – 23 already – and I am making and will continue to make every effort to return to the situation I saw at that time – living together in peace.  And with all the difficulties we face and despite all the struggles I am engaged in, the efforts I am making to overcome them, I would like to go back to a situation in which we, our Arab neighbors and the Palestinians in our midst, will genuinely pursue one thing: advancing the region as an example, which so impressed me on that tour of the western desert.  I believe that if we persist, it will happen.

I, in any case, have resolved to advance it.
Thank you.