This Day in History: 26 March 2020
26 March 1979
41 years ago, today, a historic peace agreement between Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, and Egyptian President, Anwar el-Sadat, was signed at the White House, ending three decades of tension between the two countries. Less than two years earlier, Sadat had travelled to Jerusalem, an unexpected action for an Arab leader, to seek permanent peace with his country's Jewish neighbour after many years of conflict. This visit involved him meeting with Begin and speaking before the Israeli parliament. However, this was met with outrage in most of the Arab world. Despite this, peace was pursued, and in September 1978, the two met again in the United States. Here, they negotiated an agreement with President Jimmy Carter, at Camp David, Maryland, forming the Camp David Accords, one of the first peace agreements with Israel and an Arab neighbour.
This agreement laid the groundwork for diplomatic and commercial relations, and seven months later, a formal treaty was signed. For this achievement, Begin and Sadat were awarded jointly the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. Still, Sadat's efforts were not as highly acclaimed in the Arab world, and as a result, Egypt was suspended from the Arab League. On October 6, 1981, Muslim extremists assassinated Sadat in Cairo, Egypt's capital. Nevertheless, the peace process continued in Sadat's absence, and a year later, Egypt formally established diplomatic relations with Israel.
Want to find out more about the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty? Click here for more information.
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