Taba

TABA

A piece of land disputed by Egypt and Israel.

Taba is a 250-acre patch of land that juts into the Gulf of Aqaba, a dozen miles south of Elat. When the Israeli and Egyptian governments finalized terms on 19 January 1982 for the return of the entire Sinai peninsula to Egypt, Israeli negotiators claimed that Taba should remain within Israel. They based their claim on alleged ambiguities in the physical description of Taba in the 1 October 1906 accord that demarcated the administrative border between Palestine and Egypt. Israel reinforced that claim by constructing two hotels, after spring 1982, within the Taba zone. Article 7 of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty of 1979 provided for mediation or arbitration of such differences if direct negotiations failed to resolve them. Egypt urged the formation of an international arbitration team, but the Israeli cabinet did not agree to the principle of arbitration until 13 January 1986. The membership and terms of the arbitration team were agreed upon by 12 September 1986. The three-person panel was empowered to decide on the location of the boundary pillars as of 1948, the end of the Palestine Mandate, and its rulings were final and binding on both parties. On 29 September 1988, the panel ruled in favor of Egypt. Israel evacuated Taba on 15 March 1989. Egyptian sovereignty was restored over Taba and over the hotels that Israel had constructed. However, Israelis could visit the enclave without obtaining an Egyptian visa, and Israel continued to supply Taba's water and electricity from Elat. The Taba accord was a rare example of the resolution of a contentious issue through judicial means.

Bibliography

Lesch, Ann M. "The Egyptian-Israeli Accord to Submit the Dispute over Taba to International Arbitration." In The Middle East and North Africa: Essays in Honor of J. C. Hurewitz, edited by Reeva S. Simon. New York: Middle East Institute, 1990.

ann m. lesch