(10 of 10)
Israeli Premier has not been doing much to bring it about. Sadat could not possibly afford to appear to be selling out the other Arabs; to do so would be to lose the vital financial support he receives from Saudi Arabia and the other oil-rich states (to the tune of $2 billion to $4 billion a year). Sadat could take such action only if the P.L.O. and the other Arabs dealt themselves out, but he certainly could not do it at a time when the Israelis, quite apart from refusing to withdraw from the lands they already occupy, are busy roaming over yet another Arab nation's territory. With rising anger, Sadat criticized Israel at week's end for "killing innocent civilians under the pretext of guaranteeing its security. We condemn such acts," he added, "as we have condemned earlier the massacre of Israeli civilians."
On the surface, Sadat's basic position has not changed. He refuses to speculate about what he would do if Egypt and Israel finally agreed to a declaration of principles and the other Arabs still refused to come in. "But it's hard to imagine that he would then shrug his shoulders and give up," continues Correspondent Wynn. "He regards the quest for peace as a sacred mission in the most literal sense—as a kind of special fate that he has accepted. The likelihood is that he would go ahead and make his settlement with Israel, leaving those blank spaces on the treaty for the others to sign if they ultimately come to their senses."
In the Middle East, it is often said "the Arabs cannot make war without the Egyptians, but they cannot make peace without the Palestinians." But perhaps, if all else fails, it would be worth a try.