Literary Analysis Of Anwar Sadat’S ‘Speech To The Israeli Knesset’
Sadat expresses that unity and cooperation among all of humanity is an essential method to halting global injustice and conflict. He not only comments on the oppression of the Palestinian people by the colonial, Israeli state but also on the injustice and devastation caused by the geopolitical rivalry between the Arab states and Israel. Sadat evokes pathos in “Any life lost in war is a human life, irrespective of its being that of an Israeli or an Arab, ” which stresses the universal experiences of grief and loss that are intrinsic to all of humanity, including Arabs and Israelis. It also highlights that all lives are equally as valuable, thus war and conflict equally damage both sides.
Sadat uses repetition of his main message - “how can we achieve permanent peace based on justice?” - reinforce his vision and goals on the audience. The rhetorical question challenges his Israeli audience to consider their role in perpetuating the conflict between other Arab countries and the injustice towards the Palestinian people; in order to end these conflicts and inequalities, they must stand in unity and solidarity together as humans. The collective language suggests that justice is the responsibility of all humanity and is innate to human nature. Sadat then cumulatively lists a number of methods to achieve peace, addressing them to “all states”, the repetition denoting that all international powers, not necessarily the countries of the Middle East, must cooperate to achieve the universal goal of peace. He also itemizes his argument, simplifying his points and making it easy to understand for all, as it everyone’s job to strive for peace and justice.
Furthermore, in the quote “it is not my battle alone… it is the battle of all and every citizen in all our territories whose right it is to live in peace, ” inclusive language and pathos suggests injustice and conflict can only be ended by working cooperatively, while the diction of ‘battle’ stresses the critical importance of humanism and suggests that peace can only come about through conscientious effort. Thus, speeches expose how unity and cooperation on an international scale can end oppression and injustice.
Critic R. S Littlefield states that in his speech to the Knesset, Sadat “balanced his personal philosophy with the points of view held by his separate audiences. ” Here lies the textual integrity of his oration for contemporary audiences. Sadat’s use of ethos and pathos confronts his Israeli audience and listeners in the modern day. He comments on the unifying experiences and beliefs of the Arab and Israeli people, petitioning for change in a highly tense geopolitical area.
However, conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli people still continue today, evident in the two Palestinian intifadas (Arabic for ‘uprisings’ or ‘shaking off’) since his speech was given, which both proves the enduring resonance of Sadat’s speech, but also suggests that his vision has been forgotten in the 40 years since his speech was given. Nevertheless, his speech will always been relevant, as peace and justice is in the interests of all humanity.
