Jehan Sadat, widow of Egypt's Anwar Sadat, speaks with the media.
She was at St. Mary's University on Wednesday. Bahram Mark Sobhani/Express-News
Posted on 04/04/2002 5:59:45 AM PST by Alissa
President Bush should invite Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Camp David to negotiate peace, the widow of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat said Wednesday in San Antonio.
Jehan Sadat, widow of Egypt's Anwar Sadat, speaks with the media.
She was at St. Mary's University on Wednesday. Bahram Mark Sobhani/Express-News
Jehan Sadat addressed more than 800 people at St. Mary's University's Greehey Arena in the final event of the university's spring program on understanding the Middle East.
Her husband was president of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination in 1981.
Ratifying the U.S.-brokered Camp David Accords in 1979, Egypt became the most powerful of Israel's enemies to make peace with the Jewish state, although relations today are tense.
"I'd love to see President Bush invite Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Sharon here — let them come to Camp David like President Carter did with (former Israeli President) Menachim Begin and Anwar Sadat," she said at a news conference before her address.
"President Carter made an effort to bring us together," she added. "I pray for President Bush because he can stop all the violence by inviting them and by saying, 'I want to see peace.'"
In fact, Sadat said, it would be helpful for Bush to send Carter to the Middle East. Negotiation represents the only hope for peace, she said.
"My husband was aware of what was going to happen to him, but that didn't stop him from continuing his peace mission," she said. "The great majority of Palestinians, Jordanians, Israelis, Egyptians — all the people of the Middle East — want peace. Nobody wants war and violence."
Pointing out that she herself is a victim of terrorism, Sadat said the United States, as the world's only superpower, must advocate for justice for both sides, not just those of Israel. Ignoring Palestinian rights, she said, only will create more terrorists.
"Nobody is saying to treat Israel badly. I want the United States to be very good to Israel, but it must listen to the other side, too," she said.
Arafat publicly celebrated her husband's assassination at the time, but Sadat said she's forgiven him and believes that he wants peace. He can't respond to Bush's demand that he do more while Israel holds him incommunicado, she said.
To charges that Arafat is a terrorist, she said Begin was, too, but he became a peacemaker.
"Nothing is impossible in this world," Sadat said.
The address drew a diverse crowd.
"It's an honor to come," said Leroy Yarger Sr. of San Antonio. "If God doesn't intervene soon (in the Middle East conflict), it's going to get ahead of us."
"Her husband's assassination was a terrible tragedy," Yarger added. "If he were still here, I don't think we'd be going down this broken path we're on."
Sharon Sanchez, a St. Mary's graduate student in English, said she came hoping to learn "a little history."
"I don't know much about Middle Eastern politics, but it seems like Sharon and Arafat don't want to make any concessions," she said. "Both want everything their own way."
jparker@express-news.net
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