Camp David Accords (1978)

About

The Camp David Accords, signed on September 17, 1978, were a pivotal moment in Middle East diplomacy, marking the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state, Egypt. Brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the accords followed 13 days of intense negotiations at Camp David, involving Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The agreements consisted of two frameworks: one for peace in the Middle East and another for a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, which led to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. The accords resulted in Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Israel. While they stabilized relations between these two nations, they were criticized for not adequately addressing the Palestinian issue, leading to Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League and Anwar Sadat's assassination. Despite these challenges, the Camp David Accords earned Sadat and Begin the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 and laid groundwork for future peace initiatives, such as the Oslo Accords in 1993.