The Peace treaties

When did Sadat fly to Israel?

Nov 1977

What was his reasoning behind wanting peace?

He wanted to rebuild the economy

Why was Sadat flying to Israel a big deal?

He was the first Arab leader in 30 years to openly acknowledge the existence of Israel

What did Sadat promise in exchange of the Arab territories, East Jerusalem and the Palestinian right for statehood?

Permanent peace

Why did peace agreements begin to stall?

The Israelis didn’t want to give up the West Bank to the Palestinian statehood

When were the agreements at Camp David?

Sept 1978

What were the two main frameworks in the agreements at Camp David for Israel and Egypt?

• Palestine wanted an election so they could be self-governing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Israel had to recognised the legitimacy of the Palestinians

• Israel had to withdraw from the Sinai; Egypt would return to the Sinai in three years; Israel had free shipping through the Suez

Why did the Arab states and the Palestinian’s not like the peace agreements?

• The Arabs thought that Israel just wanted to make peace with Egypt

• The Palestinians felt betrayed as the main Arab country had stopped fighting for the cause

What did Carter think was the best thing for the Middle East?

A Palestinian homeland

What happened in June 1977?

Begin, the leader of the Irgun gang, was voted into power

What Begin refuse to do?

• He refused to give up Gaza and the West Bank

• He refused the Palestinian right to self determination - he kept building on the West Bank

When was the treaty of Washington?

1979

What occurred during the Treaty of Washington?

• Carter was really determined to get Israel and Egypt talking and signing a peace agreements since the US wanted Egypt as an ally because of the Cold War

• The treaty stated that both sides recognised each other’s rights to peace and secure borders

What was the USA’s reactions to the Treaty of Washington?

They saw this as a triumph and a breakthrough for the Middle East. However, since the Palestinian problem was still unresolved, little was really achieved.

What was Israel’s reactions to the Treaty of Washington?

• Israel had no desire to give up the occupied territories but they felt more secure by neutralising the biggest Arab state threat.

• The US also stated stated that they’d support Israel’s oil needs and rebuild two of their air bases

What was Egypt’s reactions to the Treaty of Washington?

• They regained the Sinai within 3 years (1982)

• They could start rebuilding their economy

• A small group of Islamic extremists assassinated Sadat from making peace in 1981

What was the Arab world’s reactions to the Treaty of Washington?

• They saw Sadat as selling out so they cut off all relations with Egypt and moved the Arab league from Cairo to Lebanon

• It took 20 years from Egypt to be accepted again into the Arab world

What was the Palestinian’s reactions to the Treaty of Washington?

They felt more vulnerable to the Israeli expansion

How and why did the US push for peace after 1993?

• The US managed to convince Arafat to publicly acknowledge Israel and reject terrorism (Dec 1988 - secret talks began)

• Israel rejected this and saw this as propaganda

• The US wanted to secure oil for themselves and Europe

How did the end of the Cold War impact the peace treaties?

• The US could now put more pressure onto the Israel as the Soviets no longer had mass influence over the Arab states and the US wouldn’t lose their influence in the ME

• The Arabs now had to rely on the US for financial aid

How much money did the US threatened to pull out for Israel if they refused to compromise in Sep 1991?

$10 bil

When was the Madrid Conference?

Oct 1991

What occurred during the Madrid Conference?

The Israelis and the PLO met in Madrid to negotiate peace as they realised it would be more beneficial

Why the peace treaties halt in 1991?

Shamir (Israel) didn’t want to progress and extremists on both sides were committing terrorism to get dissuade talks; The US kept putting financial pressure on Israel

What occurred in Israel in 1992?

An election happened and a more moderate government was formed

When was the first Oslo Accord?

1993

What happened during the first Oslo Acord?

• These were in secret between the PLO and Israel

• In Sep 1993, Arafat and Rabin exchanged letters acknowledging the right of Palestinians and Israel right to have secure borders

• On 13th Sep 1993, the two leaders agreed that this accord would be a step by step plan to create a self-determined Palestine

What was agreed during the first Oslo Accord?

• Israeli troops would leave the occupied territories including Gaza, the West Bank and the Sinai

• Israel wouldn’t retreat from their military bases, Jewish settlement and Jerusalem

• The Palestinian authority could occupy the West Bank and Gaza

When was the second Oslo Accord?

1995

What was agreed during the second Oslo Accord?

The second agreement stated that:

• The Palestinian Authority could hold elections

• Israeli forces would withdraw from key Palestinian towns

• Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli hold

Who won the first elections for the Palestinian Authority?

The PLO won and Arafat became the first President of the Palestinian Authority

What happened in 1994 between Jordan and Israel?

They signed a peace treaty that resolves the border disputes and opened up trade

In the 90s how were relations between Syria and Israel?

They were still hostile