Following the historic visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to
Israel, Prime Minister Begin displayed hesitation regarding
compromises over territory and Jewish settlements. In the spring of
1978, 348 reserve officers and soldiers wrote a letter to the prime
minister that came to be known as "The Officers' Letter" (and led
to the creation of Peace Now). The letter called upon the prime
minister to choose peace over territory and settlements. Thirty
years later, in the spring of 2008, once again, we call upon the
government to choose peace over territory and settlements. The
Officers' Letter of 1978,1 with very minor changes,2 has become The
Citizens' Letter of 2008.
The undersigned demand of the Government of Israel:
TO STOP ALL BUILDING IN SETTLEMENTS AND EAST JERUSALEM, TO DISBAND
ALL THE ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS.
[To Prime Minister Begin] To the Government of Israel
This letter is sent to you by Israeli citizens, who also serve as
soldiers and officers in the reserves, or who have served, for the
most part. We do not address the following words to you with an
easy heart. However, at this time, when once again new [horizons]
windows of opportunity for peace and cooperation in the area are
presented to Israel, we consider it an obligation to appeal to you
- to avoid steps liable to bring misfortune to our people and our
country.
We write with a deep sense of alarm. A government that prefers the
existence of Israel within borders determined by [Greater Israel]
the settlements, rather than an Israel existing in peace through
good neighborly relations, arouses serious doubts amongst us. A
government that prefers settlements beyond the Green Line to
terminating the historic conflict and establishing normal relations
with the countries in our region raises serious doubts about the
justice of our cause.
The government policy of perpetuating its rule over [a million
Arabs] millions of Palestinians could harm the Jewish-democratic
character of the state, and make it difficult for us to identify
with the path of the State of Israel. Mindful of Israel's security
needs and the difficulties on the road to peace, we nevertheless
consider that true security can be achieved only through the
achievement of peace. The strength of the Israel Defense Forces
lies in the identification of its citizen-soldiers with Israel's
path.
We call upon you to choose the path of peace and, thereby,
strengthen our belief in our cause.
