Camp David accords

Camp David accords popular name for the historic peace accords forged in 1978 between Israel and Egypt at the U.S. presidential retreat at Camp David, Md. The official agreement was signed on Mar. 26, 1979, in Washington, D.C. by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar al- Sadat , with U.S. President Jimmy Carter signing as a witness. Under the pact, which was denounced by other Arab states, Israel agreed to return the Sinai to Egypt, a transfer that was completed in 1982. In a joint letter the two nations also agreed to negotiate Palestinian autonomy measures in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip , but virtually no progress was made on this issue until the 1990s.

Camp David Accords (Sept. 1978) Two peace resolutions between Israel and Egypt, negotiated during a thirteen-day conference between Begin and Sadat, under the crucial leadership of Carter, at the retreat of the US President, Camp David. The first provided a general framework for Middle East relations, and specified ways in which reductions in Israeli military presence in the occupied areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip would lead to a comprehensive peace settlement. Since the accords were violently opposed by the other Arab states, as well as by the PLO, it proved to be of little consequence. More important was the second accord which provided a framework for the conclusion of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The former vowed to recognize Israel and refrain from military attack, while the latter agreed to a gradual return of the occupied Sinai peninsula to Egypt. This served as a prelude to a peace treaty, which was agreed by both countries in 1979. For the Camp David Accords, Begin and Sadat received the Nobel Peace Prize.