How Did The Camp David Accords Affect Society

The role of the Middle East has been very crucial to the United States, especially after WWII. The U.S. had three strategic goals in the Middle East and consistently followed them throughout various events that unfolded in the region. First, with the emergence of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the U.S., policymakers began to recognize the importance of the Middle East as a strategic area in containing Soviet influence. This also coincides with the U.S. becoming increasingly wary of Arab nationalism and the threat it posed to U.S. influence. Secondly, the emergence of the new Israeli state in 1948 further deepened U.S. policy and involvement in the region while also creating friction between the U.S. and Arab states which were

Since his presidency did not begin with Israel becoming a state, his focus was greatly adjusted and at first there was a noticeable decline in aid and care for Israel’s wellbeing. Israel was also rather vulnerable during this time, due to the fact that there more Jewish refugees entering Israel from surrounding Arab states. President Eisenhower convincingly proved that America had the ability to influence Israel in a good way, although his presidency ended with the Middle East still in a state of war. During Eisenhower’s administration, there were two successful incidents of U.S. management of Israel and in both circumstances, Eisenhower avoided the political compulsions of America’s attachment to Israel and instead forced the Israelis to act upon principle. Unfortunately, his presidency was the last to give Israel undivided focus, for the ones to follow were absorbed in other affairs and did not provide the same constructive support.

• President Carter arranged the Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt. (In the Middle East, America favored the country of Israel. The Soviet Union favored Israel’s Arab neighbors.)

This tension came to a climax in 1936 during Arab Revolt, leaving 300 Jews and 5,000 Arabs dead, and over 15,000 Arabs injured. After WWII, large amounts of Jews were left as refugees, and on the eve of the expiration of the League of Nations Mandate, Israel announced its independence. A day latter, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon joined forces in order to stop Israel from becoming a state. There were a total of around 15,000 killed. A Palestinian’s journal explained the brutality when they wrote, “They took about 40 prisoners from the village. But after the battle was over, they took them to the quarry where they shot them dead and threw their bodies in the quarry” (10). Almost one million Palestinians were forcibly relocate. The war ended in 1949 in a ceasefire.

For instance, the Camp David Accords ended the war and constant tension between Egypt and Israel. The two countries had been at odds since the foundation of Israel in the mid-nineteen hundreds. Wars raged on between them for decades without any solution, until Anwar Sadat was elected president of Egypt. His goal was to return Egypt to its former state, which included regaining the land that was lost due to war with Egypt and finally bringing

Israeli forces defeated the Palestinian militias and Arab armies in a vicious conflict that turned 700,000 Palestinian civilians into refugees. The UN

If it weren’t for his personality type, it is highly doubtful that President Carter would have acted in the manner he had. The relations between Israel and Egypt were very stilted due to Khartoum Resolution drawn upon following the Six-Day War. It was risk for the United States to become involved in such affairs but President Carter acted in the manner he felt was right and because he wanted to and this action thereby helped lead to the peace between Israel and Egypt that would come from the Camp David Accords. He was unwavering in his goal to achieve peace between the two countries and he refused to take no for an answer and eventually, an agreement was reached thanks to his insistence. Later on in life, Jimmy Carter would win a Nobel peace prize for “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” a part of which was credited to the Camp David Accords. President Jimmy Carter showed in this action his orientation through productiveness and his willingness to follow through. These are essential qualities of being an active-positive president, which Carter has proved to be despite the strenuous conditions that he faced

The Suez Crisis was an incident that first commenced on the 29th of October, 1956, in which Israeli military forces entered the Sinai Peninsular and attacked Egyptian positions, driving them back. By the next day, Israeli forces had reached the Suez Canal, after taking a majority of the Sinai Peninsular. (Best, Hanhimaki, Maiolo & Schulze, 2008, p.432). Britain and France then both issued an ultimatum, for both Israeli and Egyptian forces to withdraw from the Suez Canal, citing its safety from the violence of war as extremely important. After Gamal Abder Nasser, Egypt’s President at the time, rejected the ultimatum, on the 30th

The administrations hoped by resolving the issues between the two that the rest of the Arab states would resolve their conflicts and support the United States. Nasser was sent to support the needs of Egypt and the Arab states and return the land taken by Israel and get them to stop creating settlements in return for peace. Before the peace treaty could be discussed further, Britain and France aided Israel in an attack on Egypt taking the Sinai

Before this the Arab armies made impressive advances with their up-to-date Soviet weaponry, Iraqi forces soon joined the war followed by Syria, and Jordan. Due to the lack of communication in Israel they did not know there was about to be an attack and since soldiers were at home with their families, they were unable to contact each other in order to come together. After several days, Israel was fully mobilized and fought back, then like the Six Day War, Israel won. Israel’s victory came at a heavy cost of casualties, Israelis criticized the government's lack of preparedness, as well as made them look weak and not

Most important agreement was between US and Israel then between Israel and Egypt (Telhamy 630).

Throughout the Arab-Israeli conflict, a multitude of people were extremely influential, either for good or for bad. Among the growing list is the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter Jr., although people know him better as Jimmy Carter. He is known for publishing multiple books on this controversial affair, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts toward trying to resolving the issue, and overseeing and participating in the Camp David Peace Accords. Although he was originally not on a particular side in this conflict, in the more recent years he has strongly favored the Arabic side, also known as the Palestinians, who want a state of their own.

By 1978 the thirty-year war that had been fought between Egypt and Israel had come to a point where there was a chance for peace. The area that had been at the center of the turmoil was the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip. The problem was that both countries believed that they had the rights to this land: Israel, biblically and Egypt, politically. So an invitation by President Jimmy Carter to President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel was extended. The invitation was for a meeting in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland at the presidential retreat, Camp David. The meeting was so that the framework of a peace agreement, known as the Camp David

In the early 1980s, Saddam Hussein took control of Iraq and the U.S. gave aid to them to control Turkey. Chomsky then goes into the Camp David sessions and beyond into the present. The ramifications of this meeting are very little if any leaving behind only the idea of peace talks for both Israel and Palestine.

After doing quite a bit of research I’ve come to the conclusion that Egypt’s relationship with the U.S. is heavily reliant on Egypt’s relationship with Israel and it’s involvement with the peace process. It’s all linked. Egypt has been a supporter of peace in the Middle East and especially in Israel. Egypt always tried to convince Israel that peace was possible and could very well last (“Egypt’s Role”). Taking into account it’s long history of support for peace, and it being a crucial ally in the Middle East peace process, Egypt is crucial to the security of Israel.