The 1978 Camp David Negotiations Between Israel & Egypt

The Camp David Negotiations of 1968 were an effort made by United States President Jimmy Carter to establish peace and security within the Middle East beginning with Egypt and Israel. President’s Carter’s mediation techniques and his skill at breaking through communication blockades, including his preparation in shadow moves, documentation, power and appreciative moves, helped enable the parties to reach a settlement. However the agreement would not have been reached if Israel and Egypt didn’t both have common goals to establish security and improve their countries economic condition.

The goal of establishing a peace agreement that would halt hostile military action between Israel and Egypt was a monumental task as both oppositions were hardened from decades of military attacks and previously failed negotiation attempts. To achieve a favorable negotiation result between Israel and Egypt, flawless planning and preparation would be required and implemented with precision.

Prior to negotiations at Camp David U.S. Ambassadors worked to restore U.S. credibility as an honest broker in the Arab-Israeli dispute, (Johns, 2007). Ambassadors worked with Sadat and his ministers and urged them to build on the Henry Kissinger Brokered Sinai I and II disengagement in order to move towards peace. Kept Sadat and his ministers informed of U.S. thinking as well as kept Washington informed of Egyptian views on Israeli intentions, and offer advice on how to negotiate with the Egyptians, (Johns, 2007).

United States ambassadors to the Middle East participated in discussions prior to Camp David with President Carter and other participants and discussed what could be expected from the principles, (Johns, 2007). Ambassadors Lewis, Eilts, and others drafted agreements in preparation for President Carter’s meetings with both Begin and Sadat. They provided President Carter with valuable information on how the proposed language would likely be received by the Egyptians and Israelis, and how to make it more acceptable to both parties, (Johns, 2007).

Along with the valuable information given to President Carter by the ambassadors and his advisors; the State Department and National Security Council drafted detailed preparations for the Camp David talks; based on the observations and recommendations of the Presidents advisors, the ambassadors to the Middle East, and Resolutions 242 and 338, (Johns, 2007).

Resolution 242 establishes principles to guide an Arab and Israeli peace settlement. The goal of 242 was to achieve a peaceful settlement between the countries and calls for a ceasefire and negotiations to start immediately, (American-Israeli, 2008). Resolution 242 calls for a withdrawal of Israel from territories occupied through conflict in 1967 and an end to the hostility or claims of hostilities between the Arab and Israeli nations, stating that every state has a right to live in security and peace with recognized national boundaries; it also requires the guarantees of the freedom of navigation, (American-Israeli, 2008). Further the resolution states that land taken in an offensive war is not an admissible form of territory acquisition, (American-Israeli, 2008). The Palestinians are only alluded to in the second clause of the resolution which insists on a settlement of the refugee problem, (American-Israeli, 2008).

Resolution 338 supports resolution 242 in that it calls for all parties in conflict to cease fire and those who adopt the decision to cease fire to do so within twelve hours of the decision; it calls on them to adopt the security council resolution 242 immediately after the cease fire; and that directly after and simultaneously with the cease fire all parties will negotiated with the goal of establishing a lasting peace in the Middle East, (U.N., 2008).

The United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338 where used as the basis for the negotiators and agreement between Israel and Egypt. The provisions under the Charter of the United Nations and other accepted international laws provided the standards of conduct for the relations between the nations during the Camp David negotiations. Israel and Egypt agreed prior to the negotiations at Camp David to use this framework as a basis for their peace agreement.

For thirty years beginning in 1948 Egypt and Israel were in a state of war. In 1947 the United Nations voted to divide Great Britain’s Palestine mandate, establishing a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an Independent Jerusalem under the United Nations. This division was apposed by the Arabs and when the directive ended in 1948, Israel proclaimed its independence and the Arab-Israeli war commenced, (Encyclopedia, 2006). Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea, Jordan assumed sovereignty over the territory between Israel’s eastern boarder and the Jordan river, to include East Jerusalem, (Encyclopedia, 2006). The Six Day War of 1967 lead to Israel occupation by force of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, (Palestine, 2008). After losing once more to Israel in 1973 in what is known as the Yom Kippur War, Egypt realized they could not win against the already proven military dominance of Israel through active warfare and decided to turn to diplomacy, (Palestine, 2008).

Prior to the 1879 Negotiations at Camp David President Carter met with Middle East leaders. During these meetings he found that both President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin were willing to consider measures for peace between the two countries, (Encyclopedia, 2007). Initial negotiations began with Egypt’s President Sadat’s unprecedented visit to Jerusalem from 19-21 November, 1977, (Palestine, 2008). The negotiations continued sporadically until 1978 when after no progress was made between Israel and Egypt during two previous and separate attempts were made to reach an agreement; U.S. President Carter invited the two leaders to negotiate privately at Camp David, (Encyclopedia, 2006).

President Jimmy Carter wanted to accommodate Sadat, President of Egypt, and Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, with a neutral location under secretive conditions in order to ensure that the media did not influence either side’s emotions or ability to constructively negotiate explicitly, (Avalon, 1998). It was the desire of both President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin to bring peace to the Middle East so that their people may pursue peace. Both countries could concentrate on their natural resources to further develop and improve their countries and their respective economy, and their country’s can become an example for the coexistence and teamwork among the Arab and Israeli nations, (U.S., 2008).

The major players involved in the talks were President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat, Prime Minister