Negotiations With egypt
A series of "cease-fires" and agreements

October 23, 1973 Israel and egypt accepted the (un dictated) cease-fire which was to take effect at 1850 Israel time on October 22, but fighting continued past that deadline, when egyptian artillery launched a massive bombardment of Israeli positions. Fighting continued on October 23; Israeli forces repulsing ground and air attacks in egypt and syria, downing 10 egyptian and 10 syrian planes. That day, prime minister Golda Meir addressed the Knesset and explained the reasons for Israel's acceptance of the cease-fire. She said, amongst other things: On 22 October, the Government of Israel unanimously decided to respond to the approach of the US government and president Nixon and announce its readiness to agree to a cease-fire according to the resolution of the security council which reflected the joint American-soviet proposal: the military forces would remain in the positions that they held at the time when the cease-fire went into effect, and implementation of the cease-fire would be conditional on reciprocity... October 25, 1973 After the failure of the October 22 cease-fire, on October 24 Israel and egypt agreed to a new cease-fire call by the head of the united nations truce observers to go into effect at 0700. But firing continued along the southern sector of the egyptian front. On that day egypt lost 15 planes. The cease-fire finally went into effect at 1700 Israel time. The next day the security council met again and adopted a resolution setting up a united nations emergency force for the Middle East. November 11, 1973 The Israel-egypt cease-fire was violated repeatedly and admittedly by egypt. Intensive negotiations, including a visit to cairo by secretary of state Dr. Kissinger and a visit to Israel by undersecretary of state Sisco, led to the signing of the Six-Point Agreement for the stabilization of the cease-fire. The agreement was signed at Kilometre 101 on the cairo-Suez road by General Yariv on behalf of Israel and general gamazy on behalf of egypt. It was the first agreement signed by Israel and Egypt since the 1949 armistice agreement. Among the six points of the agreement, the fifth point stated: "The Israeli check-points on the cairo-Suez road will be replaced by un checkpoints. At the Suez end of the road, Israeli officers can participate with the un in supervising the non-military nature of the cargo at the bank of the Canal." This meant the un forces were taking over and Israel began its long withdrawal from Sinai. The long road to peace was the long road of Israel's retreat. January 18, 1974 Efforts to conclude an agreement on the separation of forces between Israel and egypt that were made at kilometre 101 and later in geneva failed. Secretary of state Dr. Kissinger arrived in the Middle East and was able to narrow the gap between the parties and bring about the conclusion of an agreement. Before the signing of the agreement, the Israeli Government approved it and issued a statement. A day later, the agreement was signed at kilometre 101 by the Chiefs of Staff of the Israeli and egyptian armies. The statement was to the effect that an agreement had been made, and the agreement was to observe the cease-fire lines with a seperation of forces, divided by a unef buffer zone. Sinai 1967-1982 As posted at (http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/100/maps/sinai2.html) The geographical dimensions of Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula: The Sinai is three times Israel's size and was returned to egypt in 1982, a country fifty times its size, with a population ten times Israel's. Israel took an enormous risk to its security for a peace treaty. Facts about the Sinai Desert: Between the years 1967 and 1982, Israel built entire cities and harvested many different kinds of crops in this previously barren area. The Sinai had also provided Israel and her population with its first buffer zone. Economically, Sinai's oil would have made Israel fully independent of foreign oil. The beduins [of Sinai] were provided with schools and medical clinics, as well as food and water [a vast improvement in their standard of life]. Peace Treaty Between Israel and egypt (March 26, 1979) On November 20, 1977, answar sadat, of egypt, visting Israel and addressed the Israeli Knesset on his willingness to make peace. Sixteen months after sadat's visit to Israel, the Israel-egypt peace treaty was signed in Washington. It contains nine articles, a military annex, an annex dealing with the relation between the parties, agreed minutes interpreting the main articles of the treaty, among them Article 6, the withdrawal schedule, exchange of ambassadors, security arrangements, and the agreement relating to the autonomy talks. The latter issue was contained in a letter addressed by President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin to President Carter. The peace treaty was an agreement for the complete evacuation of the Israeli army and Israeli settlements in the entire Sinai Peninsula, in return for egypt's recognition of Israel and its promise to adhere to the new "cease-fire" [or peace] lines. The letter adressing the "autonomy talks," spoke of an agreement to discuss the future of an autonous arab state in Israel [in the West Bank and the gaza strip]. In a separate Israel-US memorandum of agreement, concluded on the same day, the US spelled out its commitments to Israel in case the treaty is violated, the role of the un, and the future supply of military and economic aid to Israel. People think the US was the peace mediator, when in fact it was the negotiator and the one that made and dictated the agreements. Don't forget that America had much to gain from an Israeli-egyptian "peace" treaty. This treaty brought the US back into egypt, the largest arab country, and thus it gave America a new charter of control and influence in the middle east. For egypt, it meant an immense gain in land [one that egypt could not achieve militarily], a new ally [America and its Western empire], and all the rewards of a friendship with the western world: monetary aid, an upgraded army and military capability, trade agreements, international support, and greater prospects for the future. But for Israel it meant defeat and surrender, as Israel was being cast aside while America found a new bride in the arab world. Furthermore, Israel was stripped of much of its Land, and forced to agree upon a future settlement in the West Bank and gaza [that meant further surrender for Israel]. The only reward for Israel was that its relationship with America was strengthened, although this was also a curse, as it meant Israel would be further tormented by the American authorities and dictated by American policy. Israel did not even achieve peace, as others might think, for the conflict was simply moved to the West Bank and gaza, where egypt plays a signifant role, along with jordan and other arab countries, in attacking and trying to destroy Israel or at least pare away its borders.

	Risks for "Peace" by Mitchell Bard Israel--which had repeatedly been the target of shipping blockades, military assaults, and terrorist attacks staged from the [Sinai] area--made far greater economic and strategic sacrifices in giving up Sinai than egypt did in "normalizing" relations with Israel. While it received additional US aid for withdrawing, Israel gave up much of its strategic depth in the Sinai, returning the area to a neighbor that had repeatedly used it as a launching point for attacks. Israel also relinquished direct control of its shipping lanes to and from Eilat, 1,000 miles of roadways, homes, factories, hotels, health facilities, and agricultural villages. Because egypt insisted that Jewish civilians leave the Sinai, 7,000 Israelis were uprooted from their homes and businesses, which they had spent years building in the desert. This was a physically and emotionally wrenching experience, particularly for the residents of Yamit, who had to be forcibly removed by soldiers from their homes. Israel also lost electronic early-warning stations situated on Sinai mountaintops that provided data on military movement on the western side of the Suez Canal, as well as the areas near the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Eilat, which were vital to defending against an attack from the east. Israel was forced to relocate more than 170 military installations, airfields, and army bases after it withdrew. By turning over the Sinai to egypt, Israel may have given up its only chance to become energy-independent. The Alma oil field in the southern Sinai, discovered and developed by Israel, was transferred to egypt in November 1979. When Israel gave up this field, it had become the country's largest single source of energy, supplying half the country's energy needs. Israel, which estimated the value of untapped reserves in the Alma field at $100 billion, had projected that continued development there would make the country self-sufficient in energy by 1990. Israel also agreed to end military rule in the West Bank and gaza, withdraw its troops from certain parts of the territories, and work toward arab autonomy. The Begin government did this though no arab willing to recognize Israel came forward to speak on behalf of residents of the territories. In 1988, the Jewish State relinquished Taba--a resort built by Israel in what had been a barren desert area near Eilat--to egypt. Taba's status had not been resolved by the camp david accords. When an international arbitration panel ruled in cairo's favor on September 29, 1988, Israel turned the town over to egypt. Nearly two decades have passed since Israel and egypt signed their treaty and peace has been maintained. Still, it is regarded as a cold peace because relations between the two peoples have not significantly improved. Trade and tourism are primarily in one direction--from Israel to egypt. The government-controlled press and the intellectual elite have remained hostile toward Israel and anti-Semitic articles and cartoons are published routinely. Though egyptian president hosni mubarak has been an active participant in the "peace process," more often than not, he has contributed to the hardening of arab positions. He has also refused to visit Israel except to attend the funeral of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.