Anwar_Sadat-Statement_to_Knesset_Speech

Anwar al-Sadat was born in 1918 and grew up in an average Egyptian village known as Mit Abul Com. Anwar Sadat was influenced greatly by four main figures in his early life. Zahran, a man originating from a simple village similar to Sadat's proved to be a figure of courage and admiration for Sadat as Zahran was hanged by the British during colonial rule. The second was Kemel Ataturk. Ataturk was a figure of admiration for Sadat as he had not only thrown off colonialism but had also established a number of civil service reforms thus creating the modern state of Turkey. The third man was Mohandas Gandhi. Anwar Sadat appreciated Gandhi for his preaching of nonviolence in combating injustice. Sadat's anticolonialist views also lead him to admire Adolf Hitler who, was a potential rival of British rule. Working with Gamal Abdel Nasser, a colleague he met after graduating from a British established military school in Egypt, Sadat learned the dangerous game of nation building in a world of superpower rivals. In an allied effort the British, French and Israel attacked Egypt in the hope of regaining colonial control of the Canal and its profits. The war ended with the US pressuring its allies to withdraw and thus Egypt emerged as a hero having successfully resisted colonial control. It can be said that the Statement to Knesset stemmed from the 6 Day War occurred, which saw the Israeli Military ambush Egyptian air forces and sweep though the Sinai to the Suez Canal, hence also threatening to bankrupt the government. Sadat's colleague and predecessor Nasser died in 1970 leaving Anwar Sadat to take his place as president. Over the next 11 years Sadat proved his leadership abilities, his first step being to offer a peace treaty with Israel in exchange for the return of the Siani lands seized in the 6 Day War. The deteriorating economy in Egypt, coupled with an increasing distance economic between the rich and the poor lead to internal issues, riots and attacks on the rich. These pressures caught the attention of international communities and mainly the US. Sadat, convinced that peace with Israel would reap a huge "dividend", begun his most important diplomatic decision. In a speech to the Egyptian parliament in 1977, Sadat postulated his desire to go anywhere to negotiate a peace with the Israelis. He even affirmed, he would go to the Israeli parliament to speak for peace. The Israeli's responded with an invitation to do exactly that. The speech, being his Statement to the Knesset, initiated a new momentum for peace that eventually culminated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and a final peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Anwar Sadat went on to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. He passed away on the 6th of October 1981 at the hands of assassins. Summary of the Speech- Anwar Sadat's Statement to the Knesset was a speech expressing the need for peace between Egypt and Israel. "I come to you today on solid ground, to shape a new life, to establish peace." He calls upon different religions and unites them under one, God, thus calling upon the people of both Egypt and Israel to consider a peaceful reconciliation. In his Statement to the Knesset Anwar Sadat points out three potential perceptions about his speech which he wishes to eradicate. Firstly he reflects that he has not come to Israel to seek "a separate agreement between Egypt and Israel" but rather to spread the notion of peace across all human habitats. The second perception Sadat wishes to prohibit is that he has come to "seek partial peace". He stresses that his addressing of the assembly is not merely to instil peace as a solution to the current period of strife, but rather to establish it as an everlasting character prevalent between Egypt and Israel. In his last point, Sadat states that "I have not come to you for a third disengagement agreement in Sinai, or in the Golan and the West Bank." Instead, Sadat says, that he has come to Israel so that together Egypt and Israel may build "a durable peace based on justice, to avoid the shedding of one single drop of blood from an Arab or an Israeli." Sadat then goes on to ask his audience a rhetorical question. "How can we achieve a durable peace based on justice" He answers by acknowledging the harsh treatment towards Israel and the occurring reverberations of it on the Egyptian people. Then he humbly puts forward his desire to accept Israel in a gesture of peace and unity. He furthers his decision by saying that this is possible, despite the realities of their pasts, "Why don't we stand together with the same courage and boldness to erect a huge edifice of peace that builds and does not destroy'" Near the end of his speech, Anwar Sadat stretches out his hand in proposing a peace agreement containing 5 crucial areas between the two countries. In his first point, Sadat asks that that the Israeli occupation of Arab territories since 1967 be ended. The second point that Sadat presents is the achievement of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian People and the right to self-determination, including their right to establish their own state. Sadat then asks in his third point that all states in the area be given the right to live in peace within their boundaries, which will be secure and guaranteed through procedures to be agreed upon. The fourth point stated "commitment of all states in the region to administer the relations among them in accordance with the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter, particularly the principles concerning the non-resort to force and the solution of differences among them by peaceful means." Sadat's last point asks for ending the state of belligerency in the region. As he concludes his speech Anwar Sadat defines peace and preaches that "For the sake of our peoples, and for the sake of the civilizations made by man, we have to defend man everywhere against the rule of the force of arms, so that we may endow the rule of humanity with all the power of the values and principles that promote the sublime position of Mankind."He once again draws upon the religion in his bid to persuade the two countries to accept one another under the common value of God Almighty, " I quote the following verses from the holy Koran: "We believe in God and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes and in the books given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their lord. We make no distinction between one and another among them and to God we submit." Technical Analysis- Anwar Sadat uses a range of rhetorical devices throughout his speech in order to engage his audience and allow them to relate. He often refers to religious allusions throughout his speech, thus allowing him to stand firmly as a culturally well aware man. "We all, on this land, the land of God; we all, Muslims, Christians and Jews, worship God and no one but God. God's teachings and commandments are love, sincerity, purity and peace. Here he uses both all inclusive language "we" as well as religious allusions. Sadat draws upon religions from across the world and unites them all under the one name of God. By doing so Sadat conveys that religion should not separate but instead bind us together. He reaffirms this by referring to all as "we" rather than you and I. Sadat also uses formal addressing and repetition to attract the attention of his audience and to emphasise his point. "Ladies and Gentlemen, let us be frank with each other, using straight-forward words and a clear conception, with no ambiguity. Let us be frank with each other today while the entire world, both east and west, follows these unparalleled moments which could prove to be a radical turning point in the history of this part of the world, if not in the history of the world as a whole. Let us be frank with each other as we answer this important question: how can we achieve permanent peace based on justice' " Here Sadat begins with "ladies and gentlemen". This formal address immediately asks for the attention of the audience, which undoubtedly and speaker would receive at such an address. The formal address also allowed the audience to feel a certain sense of importance, dignity and respect, which, would once again work in favour of Sadat to make his audience feel comfortable, accepting and engaged. Then he goes on to repeat "let us be frank with each other", not only does the repetition draw attention to what is being said, but the use of the all inclusive "us" allows the audience to feel included within his ideals. Sadat thus effectively gains the attention from his audience whilst conveying his ideals and values of achieving peace. He ends off on a rhetorical question which leaves the responders pondering over what is being said.