The 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty (Arabic: معاهدة السلام المصرية الإسرائيلية, Mu`āhadat as-Salām al-Misrīyah al-'Isrā'īlīyah; Hebrew: הסכם השלום בין ישראל למצרים, Heskem HaShalom Bein Yisrael LeMitzrayim) was signed in Washington, D.C. on the 26th of March 1979, following the 1978 Camp David Accords, which were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and were witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter.[1]
The peace treaty was signed sixteen months after Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat's visit to Israel in 1977 after intense negotiation.
The main features of the treaty were the mutual recognition of each state by the other, the cessation of the state of war that had existed since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and the complete withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula which Israel had captured during the Six-Day War in 1967. Egypt agreed to leave the area demilitarized. The agreement also provided for the free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal, and recognition of the Strait of Tiran, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Taba—Rafah straits as international waterways.
The agreement notably made Egypt the first Arab state to officially recognize Israel.[1]
As part of the agreement, the US began economic and military aid to Egypt, and political backing for its subsequent governments. From the Camp David peace accords in 1978 until 2000, the United States has subsidized Egypt's armed forces with over $38 billion worth of aid. Egypt receives about $1.3 billion annually.[2]
Following the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, and the subsequent strong showing of Islamist parties in Egypt's parliamentary elections, the Deputy chief of Egypt's largest party, the Muslim brotherhood, has said that they will not recognize Israel's right to exist, the treaty is non-binding, and will be put to a referendum.[3]
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According to The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East:
"The normalization of relations [between Israel and Egypt] went into effect in January 1980. Ambassadors were exchanged in February. The boycott laws were repealed by Egypt's parliament the same month, and some trade began to develop, albeit less than Israel had hoped for. In March 1980 regular airline flights were inaugurated. Egypt also began supplying Israel with crude oil".[4]
On 18 May 1981, the President of the UN Security Council indicated that the United Nations would be unable to provide an observation force, due to the threat of a veto of the motion by the Soviet Union. As a result of the United Nations Security Council impasse, Egypt, Israel and the United States opened negotiations to set up a peacekeeping organization outside the framework of the UN. On 3 August 1981, the Protocol to the Treaty of Peace was signed, establishing the Multinational Force and Observers.[5] This observation force monitors both parties to ensure compliance with the treaty.
In January 2011, during widespread protests by Egyptians against their government, Israel agreed to allow Egypt to move several hundred troops into the Sinai Peninsula for the first time since the peace treaty was signed.[6] With Israel's agreement, Egypt moved two battalions, about 800 soldiers, into the Sharm el-Sheikh area on Sinai's southern tip, far from Israel.[6]
The treaty was received with enormous controversy across the Arab World, where it was condemned, and considered as a stab in the back. The sense of outrage was particularly strong amongst Palestinians, with the leader of Palestine Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat, stating: "Let them sign what they like. False peace will not last".[7] On the other hand, the treaty led both Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to share the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace between the two states. However, in contrast to his hero status following the Yom Kippur War of 1973 (also known as the October War), Anwar Sadat became deeply unpopular across the Arab World, including within his own country. Egypt was suspended from the Arab League as a result of the treaty from 1979-1989.[8] Sadat's unpopularity grew, leading to his assassination on 6 October 1981 by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.[9]
The peace between Egypt and Israel has lasted for thirty years, and Egypt has become an important strategic partner of Israel. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a former defence minister known for his close ties to Egyptian officials has stated that "Egypt is not only our closest friend in the region, the co-operation between us goes beyond the strategic."[10]
As part of the agreement, the US began economic and military aid to Egypt, and political backing for its subsequent governments. From the Camp David peace accords in 1978 until 2000, the United States has subsidized Egypt's armed forces with over $38 billion worth of aid. Egypt receives about $1.3 billion annually..[11]
Nevertheless, the peace is often described as a "cold Peace",[10] with many in Egypt skeptical about its effectiveness.[12][13] The Arab-Israeli conflict has kept relations cool.[14] In 2008, The Egyptian army conducted simulated military exercises against an "enemy" Israel.[15]
The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 led to fears in Israel about the future of the treaty,[16] although the Israeli Prime Minister stated that he expected any new Egyptian government to keep the peace treaty with Israel, as it has served both countries well.[17] After the Egyptian Army took power on 11 February 2011, it announced that Egypt would continue to abide by all its international and regional treaties.[18] However, Ayman Nour, An influential Egyptian opposition figure and likely presidential candidate called for Cairo’s peace treaty with Israel to be "reassessed". [19] Israel's embassy was attacked on 10 September 2011 and its staff had to be evacuated, signalling a further decline in peaceful relations. [20] On 15 September the Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said that 'A peace deal with Israel was not sacred'[21]