1978 Camp David Peace Accords

 Egypt maintained a state of war with Israel since Israel’s founding in 1948, a strategy that did not bring any benefit to Egypt. In the course of the Six-Day War of 1967 Israel occupied Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. After losing badly to Israel again in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt finally saw that they could not eliminate Israel through outright war. Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat turned to diplomacy, unlike other Arab states that continued their state of war with Israel.

The Camp David Accords had their origin in Sadat’s unprecedented visit to Jerusalem on November 19-21, 1977, to address the Israeli Knesset, the first visit by an Arab head of state to Israel. Sadat was named “Man of the Year for 1977″ by Time Magazine.

Sadat’s visit initiated peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt that went on sporadically through 1977 and into 1978. Reaching a deadlock, both Sadat and Begin accepted President Carter’s invitation to a US – Israeli – Egyptian summit meeting at the Presidential retreat, Camp David (in Maryland) on September 5, 1978.

From September 5 through September 17, 1978, twelve days of secret negotiations were conducted at Camp David between Sadat and Begin, mediated by US President Jimmy Carter. The Israeli-Egyptian negotiations were concluded by the signing of two agreements at the White House. The agreements were based on UN resolutions 242 and 338, and were meant to constitute a basis for peace between Egypt and Israel, as well as to reach “a just, comprehensive, and durable settlement of the Middle East conflict” for all neighbors willing to negotiate with Israel.

The first dealt with the future of the Sinai and peace between Israel and Egypt, to be concluded within three months. Israel agreed to withdraw from all of the Sinai, within three years, and to dismantle its air bases near the Gulf of Aqaba and the town of Yamit. Egypt promised full diplomatic relations with Israel, and to allow Israel passage through the Suez Canal, the Strait of Tiran, and the Gulf of Aqaba.

The second agreement was a framework establishing a format for the conduct of negotiations for the establishment of an autonomy regime in the West Bank and Gaza to settle the question of the Palestinians.

The Israel-Egypt agreement clearly defined the future relations between the two countries, all aspects of withdrawal from the Sinai, military arrangements in the peninsula such as demilitarization and limitations, as well as the supervision mechanism. The framework agreement regarding the future of Judea, Samaria and Gaza was less clear and was later interpreted differently by Israel, Egypt, and the US.

President Carter witnessed the Accords which were signed by Egyptian President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Begin.

The two agreements between Israel and Egypt led to a negotiated peace between those two nations in 1979, the first between Israel and any of its Arab neighbors. Sadat and Begin shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for their historic agreements.