Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter, and Menachem Begin shaking hands on the White House grounds – Warren K. Leffler
CAIRO – 26 March 2019: Reuters published new pictures marking the signing of the Camp David Accord, during which the entire Egyptian territory was liberated from the Israeli occupation.
March 26 marks when Egypt's late President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli former Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed a peace treaty in 1979, after they fought four wars since 1948.
FILE - President Anwar al-Sadat - Reuters
The pictures showed Sadat accompanied by Begin and former US President Jimmy Carter.
March 19 marks a powerful moment in the history of Modern Egypt, as the Egyptian sovereignty over Taba, South Sinai was announced restored from Israel.
Despite its small area, Taba’s return to Egypt remains a pivotal point in Egyptian-Israeli relations.
Former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak raised the Egyptian flag on Taba on March 19, 1989, declaring the return of the town to Egypt.
The 13-day negotiations later produced two accords including a framework for peace in the Middle East, and another framework for the conclusion of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel; the latter was signed on March 26, 1979, paving the way for the first peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
When the Israeli and Egyptian governments finalized the negotiations for the return of the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt on January 19, 1982, according to the first treaty of peace between Israel and Egypt, the former tried to prevaricate to change the situation on the ground.
On March 26, 1979, on the North Grounds of the White House, Presidents Carter and Sadat and Prime Minister Begin joined hands in celebration of the signing of the “Treaty of Peace Between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel - holdings of the Carter Library.
Reuters publishes new pictures marking the signing of the Camp David Accord
Israeli negotiators claimed that Taba should remain with Israel. They justified their claim by saying that the description of Taba as the administrative border between Palestine and Egypt in October 1906 accord was ambiguous and did not clearly state if Taba falls within Egypt or Palestine. Israel even took a further step to enforce a de facto situation by constructing two Israeli hotels within Taba after spring 1982.
According to article 7 of the 1979 peace treaty, any side can resort to international mediation if direct negotiations fail to resolve such differences. Therefore, Egypt requested the formation of an international arbitration team, a request which the Israeli cabinet did not agree to until January 13, 1986.
Hence, a panel was formed and empowered to decide on the location of the boundary pillars as of 1948, the date when the Palestine Mandate ended, and it was agreed on by all sides that the panel’s decision would be final and binding to both parties.
Reuters publishes new pictures marking the signing of the Camp David Accord
Two years later in 1988, being presented by strong evidence from the Egyptian side, the panel ruled in favor of Egypt and Israel was forced to evacuate Taba on March 19, 1989, ending nearly 15 years of Israeli control over the peninsula since 1967. Taba became the last part of Egyptian lands to be liberated from Israel.
Reuters publishes new pictures marking the signing of the Camp David Accord
Anwar al-Sadat (L) and Menachem Begin discuss peace in 1977 – Reuters
Additional reporting by Fatma al-Wahaidy, AmrKandil
Reuters contributed to the reporting
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