Start free
  • Israel since 1948: State and Society

How Did Israel Make Peace with Egypt?

Quick answer

Israel and Egypt worked to make peace through direct diplomacy facilitated by the United States. Following Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem in November 1977, US President Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David Accords in September 1978. In March 1979, Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Sadat signed a formal peace treaty in Washington, trading the Sinai Peninsula for diplomatic recognition and security guarantees.

The topic explained

Strategic shifts after the 1973 war

To understand how Israel and Egypt established peace, one must begin with the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. Although Israel regained military initiative after an initial surprise attack, the heavy losses showed Israeli leaders that military dominance alone could not ensure long-term stability. In Cairo, President Anwar Sadat had restored Egyptian national pride by crossing the Suez Canal. He calculated that Egypt could not afford an endless war economy and needed Western investment and economic aid.

In November 1977, Sadat made a dramatic move: he announced to the Egyptian parliament that he was willing to go to Jerusalem. Prime Minister Menachem Begin promptly extended an official invitation. Sadat addressed the Knesset, speaking of coexistence while insisting that any lasting settlement must restore sovereign Egyptian land and recognize Palestinian rights.

Thirteen days at Camp David and the 1979 treaty

Bilateral talks stalled over security arrangements and Israeli settlements in the Sinai Peninsula. In September 1978, US President Jimmy Carter convened Sadat and Begin at Camp David in Maryland. After nearly two weeks of tense negotiations, they produced two framework documents: one for bilateral peace and one outlining five years of autonomy for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

On March 26, 1979, Begin and Sadat signed the formal peace treaty on the White House lawn. Under the agreement, Israel committed to a full military and civilian withdrawal from the Sinai by April 1982, which required evacuating and demolishing the Israeli town of Yamit. In return, Egypt recognized Israel's sovereignty, established full diplomatic relations, opened the Suez Canal to Israeli ships, and agreed to demilitarized zones monitored by multinational observers.

The path to Jordan and the meaning of a cold peace

The treaty carried severe diplomatic fallout for Egypt. The Arab League suspended Egypt's membership and moved its headquarters from Cairo to Tunis. In October 1981, Islamist militants assassinated Sadat. The autonomy plan for Palestinians stalled entirely, as Israel continued settlement expansion and Arab leaders rejected the framework.

Despite tensions, the Egyptian treaty set the precedent of trading land for peace. In October 1994, King Hussein of Jordan signed a peace treaty with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Arava border crossing. This breakthrough was made possible by the September 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO, which removed Jordan's fear of acting ahead of the Palestinians. Historians describe relations with both Egypt and Jordan as a cold peace: security cooperation and formal diplomatic ties remain solid at government levels, but cultural exchange and popular warmth remain very limited.

Free printable worksheet

Diplomatic Breakthroughs: Israel, Egypt, and Jordan

For 12th grade history students. Answer each prompt thoroughly using specific dates, leaders, and terms from the treaties of 1979 and 1994.

Print the worksheet Regenerate new worksheet

Free, no sign-up. The answer key prints on the second page. Regenerating a new worksheet on the same topic needs a free account.

Free printable worksheetlessoons.com
Diplomatic Breakthroughs: Israel, Egypt, and JordanName:

  1. Identify the leaders who signed the Camp David Accords in September 1978 and the treaty in March 1979.

  2. What primary territory did Israel return to Egyptian sovereignty, and which Israeli settlement was evacuated in 1982 as a result?

  3. Explain one economic and one strategic motive that led Anwar Sadat to seek peace with Israel after 1973.

  4. How did the 1993 Oslo Accords enable King Hussein of Jordan to sign a peace treaty with Israel in October 1994?

  5. Read this statement: 'The 1979 treaty created a warm alliance between societies.' Weigh this against the historical reality of a 'cold peace.'

More topics and worksheets at lessoons.com© 2026 Lessons

Common questions

Why was the treaty signed in 1979 called land for peace?

The treaty established the principle that Israel would withdraw from captured land—in this case, the entire Sinai Peninsula occupied in June 1967—in exchange for full diplomatic recognition, demilitarized buffer zones, and formal peace from an Arab neighbor.

What happened to the Palestinian autonomy provisions of the Camp David Accords?

The framework called for a five-year transitional autonomy period for residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, talks collapsed because the PLO rejected the plan, Arab states boycotted the process, and Israel continued building settlements.

What issues did the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty settle?

The 1994 treaty demarcated the international border between Israel and Jordan, established fair water-sharing quotas from the Jordan and Yarmouk rivers, and recognized Jordan's special historic role in managing Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem.

How difficult is this topic on the Israeli history bagrut exam?

This topic is standard for 12th grade exams. Questions generally focus on the motives of Begin and Sadat, the role of US mediation, the trade-offs involved in evacuating Yamit, and the distinction between institutional and popular peace.

Still have a question? Ask Lessi

Any question about this subject. Lessi answers right here, step by step.

Try asking

Asking needs a free account; your question is kept while you sign up. Answers are written by AI and can contain mistakes. Lessi doesn’t give medical or legal advice.

Learn it with a teacher

Learn this topic live with Lessi

Lessi, the AI teacher, explains it out loud on a board, with short quizzes, at your pace. The first 60 minutes are free.

Prefer a private teacher?

Private teachers for History

Teachers on Lessoons, online or face to face. Each profile opens on the Lessoons site.

See all 1,251 teachers