After almost two weeks of intense negotiations at the presidential retreat in Maryland, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the Camp David Accords on September 17, 1978. This historic agreement established the groundwork for peace between Egypt and Israel.
The Road to Camp David
Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Egypt and Israel have been bitter enemies, clashing once more in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. This conflict left deep scars on both nations but also demonstrated the limits of military solutions. U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who took office in 1977, prioritized Middle East peace as a key focus of his foreign policy.
Negotiations were complex from the start. Begin, leading Israel’s Likud Party, was resistant to trading land for peace, particularly regarding the West Bank and Gaza. Sadat, frustrated with slow progress, stunned the world in November 1977 by traveling to Jerusalem to address the Israeli Knesset directly, signaling his willingness to seek peace but also heightening divisions within the Arab world.
By mid-1978, talks had stalled. Carter, fearing the opportunity for peace would slip away, invited both leaders to Camp David in September for an intensive summit.
Twelve Days of Negotiation
The Camp David talks lasted from September 5 to 17, 1978. Carter worked tirelessly, often meeting separately with Sadat and Begin when direct talks broke down. The discussions centered on two key issues: the future of the Sinai Peninsula and Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza.
The negotiations were fraught with tension. Sadat demanded complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, while Begin resisted territorial concessions and settlement freezes. Carter and his Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, mediated tirelessly, producing draft proposals and revising them repeatedly.
By the end of the summit, the parties signed two framework agreements. The first outlined principles for Palestinian self-government in the West Bank and Gaza, though details remained vague and contentious. The second provided the basis for an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, including Israel’s phased withdrawal from the Sinai and Egypt’s recognition of Israel.
A Breakthrough for Peace
The signing of the accords was a significant diplomatic achievement. It was the first instance in which an Arab nation officially recognized Israel, breaking a longstanding barrier in Middle Eastern politics. For Carter, this represented a pinnacle of his foreign policy, showcasing the effectiveness of U.S. diplomacy in negotiating peace between longstanding adversaries.
However, the accords also had limitations. Many Arab nations denounced Sadat for striking a separate peace, and the Palestinian question remained unresolved. Despite this, the framework laid the groundwork for the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, which formally ended decades of hostilities between the two countries.