Photo Source: Associaton for Diplomatic Studies & Training, 17 Sep. 2013
When Israel and Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, the whole world was shocked. For nearly 40 years, the countries had been at war. Before Sadat and Begin were invited to Camp David, it would be groundbreaking if they were in the same room, let alone have good relations. The Camp David Accords were a successful treaty that treated a tremendous conflict and broke barriers while doing it.
This is a newspaper from the time of the accords. At that time, it was hard to know whether the accords would work, but now we see that they are still in peace. In 1978 Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Photo Source: jewishcanada.org
The main impact of the accords was peace. After the accords were signed, Egypt and Israel held a lasting peace until this day. For Israel and Egypt to have relations together broke an ideological barrier, since they were separated since Israel was founded. The first barrier broke when President Sadat went to speak at the Knesset.
Sadat speaking at the Knesset. Photo Source: Gale In Context: World History, 1981
When Sadat came to speak at the Knesset, he crossed the physical barrier between Egypt and Israel, and broke it, because no other head of an Arab country had visited Israel. His crossing the physical barrier separating Egypt from Israel was historic and still is.
This political cartoon shows how Egypt was getting treated by Arab countries. They were "chauffeuring" the other Arab states for a long time. Photo Source: Digital Library of Georgia, 13 Oct. 1978
Another one of the main impacts of the accords was the perceptional barrier that was built, separating Egypt from other Arab countries. In 1977, 5 Arab countries and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), met in Libya to discuss ways of stopping the Egyptian-Israeli peace process. One reason for this is that they want Egypt to continue to "chauffeuring" them around. Later in 1977, Egypt cut diplomatic ties with those countries. That entirely set Egypt apart from them.
" A life which is taken away in war is the life of a human being, whether it is an Arab or an Israeli life. The wife who becomes a widow is a human being and has the right to live in a happy family environment whether she is an Arab or an Israeli. The innocent children who lose the care and love of their parents are all our children; they are all our children, whether in the land of the Arabs or in Israel; we have a great responsibility to provide them with a prosperous present and a better future."
~ Anwar Sadat (excerpt from Knesset speach)
Economy
The first economic improvement between the countrys happened in 1980 when formal relations began. The Egyptian Parliament approved the first trade agreement with Israel on May 8, 1980. One more country to trade with, for both Israel and Egypt was excellent. They had important things to export and needed items to import.
Tourism
A substantial part of the economy for both countries is tourism. Before 1980, no one from Israel was ever crossing the barrier to Egypt, and vis versa. In 2011, 226,456 people came from Israel to Egypt. And Egypt has reciprocal tourism. Tourism is an essential income for both countries.
Natural Gas
Recently Egypt has turned from being a major natural gas exporter to a net importer. For a long time, Israel imported the gas, but in recent years, they have made their own significant gas discoveries. They could become a gas supplier for Egypt.
"Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family."
~ Menachem Begin
Ben Mei-Dan
Individual Division
Junior Division
Word Count: 1199
The Camp David Accords were brokered by Jimmy Carter and signed by the Egyptian and Israeli leaders on September 17, 1978, at Camp David, Maryland. When the accords were signed the ideological barrier between Egypt and Israel was broken, and it ultimately resulted in peace, an improved economy for both countries, and a perceptional barrier that was built, separating Egypt and Israel from every other Arab country.