The Accords
Objectives and Preparation
By 1978, "in an unprecedented move, [President Carter] invited new Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar Sadat to Camp David to meet privately with him, two leaders that he believed could make crucial decisions."
"There were four basic issues to deal with at Camp David: 1) a peace treaty and normalization of relations between Israel and Egypt, 2) demilitarization and removal of Israeli settlements from the Sinai, 3) linkage between these issues and the future of the West Bank and Gaza, and 4) a statement on principles, including Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories and the right of Palestinians to self-determination."
"There were four basic issues to deal with at Camp David: 1) a peace treaty and normalization of relations between Israel and Egypt, 2) demilitarization and removal of Israeli settlements from the Sinai, 3) linkage between these issues and the future of the West Bank and Gaza, and 4) a statement on principles, including Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories and the right of Palestinians to self-determination."
Notes for Carter from Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
Negotiations
"The Camp David Accords: American Experience"
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"The Camp David Accords: American Experience"
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Talks initially began with high expectations, asking "the world to pray that peace could be achieved through these meetings." Despite these hopes, negotiations quickly broke down into a bitter stalemate over the status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Sinai Peninsula.
Carter was forced to mediate "shouting matches", and when "Sadat and Begin were no longer on speaking terms, President Carter...[acted] as the go-between, hashing out proposals with one leader and then the other." When talks perilously neared collapse, Carter resorted to forceful personal and emotional appeals to lure the two leaders back into negotiations. |
"Three scheduled days at Camp David turned into thirteen intensely frustrating ones...Carter found both Sadat and Begin clinging to old arguments and repetitious statements. After two days, despite some amicable moments, President Carter felt that more progress could be made if they did not meet directly. He spent much of his time listening intently to heated arguments and realized that a whole new approach was needed. By Saturday, September 9, Carter worked...to draft an American proposal. President Carter implemented a "single text" strategy. The draft incorporated the needs and requirements of both sides. Then he took this draft separately to each party for points of agreement and disagreement. After twenty-three drafts and continuous debates on wording, the U.S. delegation came up with a final framework agreement on Sunday, September 17, that the Egyptians and the Israelis could agree on."
-"Thirteen Days After Twenty-Five Years"
On September 17, 1978, Begin and Sadat reached a tentative agreement and signed the Camp David Accords. While Begin conceded the Sinai Peninsula, Sadat conceded the West Bank. Both sides agreed to a framework for peace in the Middle East and promised to quickly negotiate a peace treaty.
Carter on "A Framework for Peace in the Middle East" during his Remarks on Joint Statement at Camp David Summit
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"One of the agreements that President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin are signing tonight is entitled, "A Framework for Peace in the Middle East." |
"The other document is entitled, "Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty Between Egypt and Israel." |
Carter on "Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty Between Egypt and Israel" during his Remarks
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"Carter's experience with civil rights in the US made him believe that tough problems could be solved... Begin's family history made him very distrustful of Arabs, non-Jews; his lawyerly training made him a stickler for word nuances. Sadat would have loved to be an actor; he loved the big moves, the stage. He had little patience for detail." -William Quandt, on personalities of the Camp David participants
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