The Signing of the Camp David Accords

History Daily

On September 17, 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords at the White H

Key takeaways

• Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem broke decades of hostility and opened diplomatic channels with Israel.
• The Accords led to Egypt's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and recognition of Israel, but alienated many Arab states.

Main topics

• Camp David Accords signing
• Egypt-Israel peace process

Notable quotes

'I am prepared to go anywhere to secure that peace, even to Jerusalem.' – Anwar Sadat

Conclusion

The Camp David Accords marked a turning point in Middle East diplomacy,

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:09) It's October 6th, 1973, on the Suez Canal in Egypt. An Egyptian army officer grips the side of a dinghy as it races across the water. You can barely hear the noise of its engine. It's drowned out by the screaming of jets, the thump of artillery, and distant explosions of gunshots. His squad of soldiers and combat engineers sit beside him, staring forward with their eyes peeled. They're here to take back the Sinai Peninsula. a vast desert territory east of the Suez Canal that has been occupied by Israel for the last six years. As the dinghy hits the shore, the Egyptian soldiers leap out, dragging long hoses with them. Ahead of them is a high wall of sand. Nearly 60 feet from top to bottom, it lines the eastern bank of the Suez Canal and is Israel's first line of defense against Egyptian attack. But the Egyptians have come prepared. The hoses they're dragging across the sand are connected to high-pressure pumps imported from Europe. Using water drawn straight from the canal, The jets should quickly cut through the sand barrier. As his men begin demolishing the wall, the officer scans the battle team. He can see more squads of soldiers to the north and south. Some have water pumps like his men, but others are building a floating pontoon bridge across the water. On the other side of the canal, Egyptian tanks and transports wait, idling their engines and ready to cross as soon as the bridge is finished. The officer looks up as more jets roar overhead. They're friendlies returning from a bombing run meant to delay the Israeli counterattack. This officer isn't an airman, but he can see that the squadron has taken losses. The Israeli military is a formidable enemy. Even with Egypt's Syrian allies launching a simultaneous attack from the north, this officer knows that Israel will hit back hard. He only hopes the Egyptian forces can achieve their objective before they do. Speaker 1 (2:11) The timing of this offensive is deliberate. Today is the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, and Egyptian military planners believe the Israelis will be unprepared for an attack. But the Egyptians won't be able to reclaim all of the Sinai Peninsula in their surprise assault, and a formal state of war will persist between Egypt and Israel for another five years, until the groundwork for peace is laid in the Camp David Accords, signed on September 17, 1978. Speaker 1 (2:40) Hello, History Daily listeners. The live show I've been telling you about for a few weeks has a new date, October 23rd at the Plaza Theater in Garland, Texas. This is my Days That Made America tour, a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with me and a band live on stage. So if you're in the North Texas area or anywhere close, be sure to come out and see me live. More shows will be announced soon, too. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to HistoryDailyLive.com. That's HistoryDailyLive.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour live on stage. Go to HistoryDailyLive.com. From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History Daily. Speaker 1 (3:42) History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is September 17th, 1978, the signing of the Camp David Accords. Speaker 1 (3:59) It's November 9, 1977, in Cairo, Egypt, four years after the Yom Kippur War. President Anwar Sadat takes his seat in the People's Assembly. High on the wall behind him is the Egyptian coat of arms. Before him are hundreds of representatives from the country's parliament. They sit in silence as Sadat begins to speak. Sadat has ruled Egypt as an effective dictator since his predecessor died from a heart attack in 1970. And since taking power, Sadat has sought to make his mark on