CAIRO: Thirty years ago today, on March 26, 1979, President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed a peace treaty witnessed by American President Jimmy Carter between Egypt and Israel on the White House lawn.
The treaty came after three wars and much antagonism, it was a landmark moment in regional history insomuch as it was replicated only once more when Jordan followed suit and signed a treaty with Israel in 1994.
“It is a historic turning point of great significance for all peace-loving nations.
Those among us who are endowed with vision cannot fail to comprehend the dimensions of our sacred mission, Sadat said in his speech, “While we take the initiative to protect these interests, we remain faithful to our Arab commitment. To us, this is a matter of destiny. Pursuing peace is the only avenue which is compatible with our culture and creed.
Carter said, “We have won at last the first step of peace, a first step on a long and difficult road. We must not minimize the obstacles which still lie ahead. Differences still separate the signatories to this treaty from one another, and also from some of their neighbors who fear what they have just done.
During his speech Sadat had said it was one of the happiest moments of his life. For his part Begin, indicated that it was the third happiest day of his, after the creation of Israel in 1948 and the annexation of Jerusalem.
Taher Helmy, senior partner at Baker and McKenzie international law firm and former President of the American Chamber of Commerce and then a lawyer in Chicago, was present on the White House lawn to witness the signing. (Helmy is also invested in Egyptian Media Services, the publisher of Daily News Egypt).
“We were there at the White House lawn, it was a sunny day and President Sadat looked very tired. He had gone through very difficult marathon negotiations at Camp David. I remember very clearly what he said, ‘this was the most important day of his life’, because the signing meant liberating Sinai, he said.
“I attended the dinner at the White House later that evening and he [Sadat] looked exhausted; as an important historic moment as it was, I felt it was a stressful time for him. He had taken a very difficult decision considering the attitude of the Arab world at the time, Helmy added.
En-route to Camp David
Reaching that moment on the White House lawn was not without its difficulties. Then Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy resigned in protest before the Camp David talks took place in 1978. His successor, Mohamed Ibrahim Kamel, walked out from Camp David.
Additionally, Egypt was suspended from the Arab League in 1979 because of signing the treaty and was only readmitted a decade later.
Sadat took Boutros Boutros-Ghali with him to Camp David, naming him the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, not Foreign Minister, due to the fact that he was a Coptic Christian.
However the road to Camp David began before this, and before Sadat’s trip to address the Israeli Knesset in 1977, with then National Security Advisor Hafez Ismail, who was going to Morocco to hold secret talks with Israeli officials arbitrated by King Hassan II and with the help of Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu.
According to Mohamed Hassanein Heikal’s book, “Talk of the Initiative , it was Nahum Goldman, President of the World Jewish Congress at the time, who was the main driving force for the Israelis. He would often shuttle between Rabat and Bucharest.
Goldman said of Begin, “History might prove that Begin is the strong man who could offer concessions that would make no one accuse of him of weakness if he was to offer them.
Thirty years later
The Israeli Foreign Ministry released yesterday a statement to commemorate the anniversary of the treaty, but also hinted at rockiness in relations between the two countries even after 30 years.
“Despite some difficulties, the peace between Israel and Egypt has proved to be solid and stable, demonstrating the preeminence of the desire for peace which exists in both peoples, as well as the strategic value for both countries, it said.
“The current peaceful relations constitute the basic reality for all regional political developments, and represent a supportive and contributory factor in the continuation of the Middle East peace process in general and with the Palestinians in particular.
The statement added, “Within the framework of the bilateral relations, there is an ongoing dialogue between Egypt and Israel on various issues, including problematical and sensitive matters.
On a recent visit to Egypt, Carter said that the only request Sadat asked of him during Camp David was wheat for Egypt because of a drought the year before which had decimated the crop. Israel and Egypt have been receiving annual military and economic assistance from the United States ever since the treaty was signed.
“I personally thought that it was a day which marked the end of an era, said Helmy, “An era of continuous wars for Egypt. I felt this could be the beginning of a peaceful period . more of a focus on economic development rather than the waste of war.
“I was a young man during the 1967 war and I witnessed the devastation of this war on Egypt and I also witnessed the deterioration in the Egyptian economy over decades because of our direct engagement in this conflict, and of course the substantial loss of life Egypt sacrificed, he added.
In a web chat conducted Wednesday to discuss the treaty, Minister-Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs at the US Embassy in Cairo Bill Stewart said, “I think the impact of Camp David and the ensuing peace treaty between Egypt and Israel has been positive not only for those two countries, but for the region as a whole and, I would argue, for the entire world as this is such a vitally important area to all of us.
“In terms of US-Egyptian relations, I think it is clear that Camp David and the Peace Treaty ushered in a fundamentally different era in our relations, and one which has been mutually beneficial, he added.
