Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's Attempts
President Sadat's political will initiated the peace process, but it was President Carter who translated Sadat's initiative into a concrete peace treaty.
Before Sadat
Sadat's predecessor, Gamal Abdel Nasser, was openly hostile towards Israel (below):
"We will not accept any ... coexistence with Israel. ... Today the issue is not the establishment of peace between the Arab states and Israel .... The war with Israel is in effect since 1948." (Nasser) |
ABOVE: Nasser (Sadat's predecessor) voices concerns regarding Israel and the US.
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Sadat's Rise to Power & Psychological Shift
Unlike Nasser, Sadat had a different perspective.
Sadat wanted long-term peace:
"If not for U.S. support, many believed, they would have driven the Jews into the sea. Sadat did not seem to have that as his objective. It was more important for him to erase the humiliation of 1967. As Egyptian chief of staff Sa’ad Shazli, said on October 8, 1973, “The war has retrieved Arab honor.” This psychological shift was critical to Sadat's ability to enter negotiations later to reach a peace agreement with Israel." (Policy Analyst Mitchell Bard) |
Sadat's Political Will
Video of Sadat's visit to Israel. (SOURCE: Marty Perlmutter)
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“Let us put an end to wars, let us reshape life on the solid basis of equity and truth. And it is this call, which reflected the will of the Egyptian people, of the great majority of the Arab and Israeli peoples, and indeed of millions of men, women, and children around the world that you are today honoring. And these hundreds of millions will judge to what extent every responsible leader in the Middle East has responded to the hopes of mankind.” - Anwar Sadat |
Sadat's strong commitment to peace was also documented by the press:
In essence, Sadat's willingness to put his political career on the line was critical for the success of the Camp David Accords.