Al-Ahram, September 19, 1978: Egyptians learn of the Camp David Accords

“FULL TEXT OF CAMP DAVID PEACE AGREEMENT” reads the headline of Al-Ahram, the main government-owned newspaper of Egypt, for September 19, 1978.

The agreement, known as the Camp David Accords in the United States, had been signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin two days earlier at Camp David.

A few days later, Time Magazine would cover the agreement in detail for the US audience in an article titled “A Sudden Vision of Peace: Jimmy Carter stages an extraordinary summit that has old foes embracing”.

Camp David is regarded as a pivotal moment in Arab-Israeli relations, as it was the first independent peace treaty between an Arab country and Israel following the 1973 “Yom Kippur War” in which Egypt and Israel had fought for control of the Sinai Peninsula. In the end, Egypt won only a sliver of the Sinai, but, not insignificantly, gained control of the Suez Canal.

As a result of the Camp David Accords, Egypt gained control of the entire Sinai Peninsula. However, Palestinians were not included in the talks, and very little was accomplished for those most directly affected by the Israeli occupation and military rule established in 1967.

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The agreement reached at Camp David following many days of secret negotiations is controversial among the Arab public to this day.

On one hand, the agreement meant that the millions of citizens of the largest Arab country, Egypt, would no longer fear war with an American-backed superpower neighbor breaking out at any moment. Young Egyptian men would not be sent to fight on behalf of Palestinians, whose rights they might support but who were ultimately a separate national group with their own identity. 

On the other hand, the concept that an Arab government would “abandon” or “betray” the Palestinians by making peace with Israel without requiring the end of the occupation of Palestinian land would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier.

​Nationalism and borders may have divided Arabs into separate communities, but the Palestinian cause was still dear to many across the Middle East.

.Given the probability that significant numbers of Egyptians would be opposed to or ambivalent about this surprise concession to a country long established as their natural enemy, coverage in this state-owned newspaper seems carefully arranged to assuage common concerns. Let us consider the headlines, in order:

FULL TEXT OF CAMP DAVID PEACE AGREEMENT
GAINS WON FOR PALESTINIANS
GAINS WON FOR EGYPT
SADAT IN MESSAGE TO EGYPTIAN PEOPLE: I GOT WHAT I WANTED AND WE WILL NOT HAVE TO SEND OUR SONS TO WAR AGAIN

Disregarding the other text on the page, these headlines can tell us a lot about the impression the Egyptian government wanted to give Egyptians about the agreements.

• They wanted to seem transparent, publishing the entire text in the most widely-distributed newspaper just two days after it was signed. This addresses the misgivings many might have after learning of a secret conference.
• Although it is not technically needed, the words “for peace” are included in the name of the agreement, perhaps subtly playing on Egyptians’ exhaustion after decades of conflict with Israel.
• The benefits to the Palestinian people are listed first, sending the message that while the Palestinians were not included in the talks, their welfare was still Egypt’s primary concern. (Also note that while “Israel” is included, the word “Palestine” is not, a somewhat surprising nod to the fact that Egypt has recognized only one state as an official entity.)
• After listing how Egypt would benefit from the agreement, a summary of Sadat’s message validates Egyptians’ grief and desire for stability.

I will continue my translation and analysis in separate posts about the contents of the articles within the newspaper; for now, take a look at the front page. Notice how much space is given to emphasize future Palestinian participation, even though they were excluded from the talks themselves.



Al-Ahram — September 19, 1978
FULL TEXT OF CAMP DAVID PEACE AGREEMENT

GAINS WON FOR PALESTINIANS
End to military rule; Israeli civil administration in West Bank and Gaza
Israeli commitment to halt all new settlement construction in the West Bank and Gaza
Beginning of Israeli withdrawal from West Bank and Gaza immediately following talks
Participation of Palestinian people in negotiations concerning future of West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem
Respect for Palestinians’ lawful rights
Veto power for Palestinians on any resolution concerning them [at the United Nations]
Enforcement of Resolution 242 [UN resolution mandating Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories under a negotiated peace treaty; interpretations of the resolutions vary] in the West Bank and Gaza
Basic participation in negotiations on the issue
Return of displaced persons [unclear what this refers to, as the treaty does not mention the right of return for Palestinian refugees]
Prompt solution to refugee problem [again, unclear]

GAINS WON FOR EGYPT
Israeli withdrawal from all of Sinai to international borders
Immediate withdrawal to begin within three months following signing of peace treaty
Return of all Israeli airports in Sinai to Egypt, at which time they will become civil airports
[United Nations] Security Council guarantees the agreement and safe borders for Arab countries and Israel
[unless I am interpreting this incorrectly, this is false; the UN General Assembly rejected the Camp David Accords because they did not guarantee the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and I cannot find evidence of Security Council approval of the agreement]
Egypt will only implement agreement if Knesset approves withdrawal from settlements

SADAT IN MESSAGE TO EGYPTIAN PEOPLE: I GOT WHAT I WANTED AND WE WILL NOT HAVE TO SEND OUR SONS TO WAR AGAIN
Widespread reactions across the globe:
Washington: A victory for world peace
London: The conference exceeded all expectations
Israel: The agreement defies belief

Ali Hamdi writes from Washington (Page 3)
Text of conference documents and annexes p. 5
Inside this edition:
Full text of conference documents p. 5
Worldwide reactions to the agreement p. 7
Timeline of events at Camp David p. 7
What they're saying about the agreement p. 7
Presidents’ statements after signing agreement p. 9
Sadat addresses the Egyptian people p. 12

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