Ad Copy
When Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat signed a formal peace treaty on the North Lawn of the White House in March 1979, it was the culmination of years of planning.
The year before, as President Jimmy Carter and his family were relaxing at Camp David, First Lady Rosalynn Carter had a moment of inspiration. Efforts to secure a permanent peace between Israel and Egypt had stalled, and the president was anxious to get the process moving again. As she took in the surrounding tranquility, the first lady suggested holding future peace talks at Camp David. The president agreed that the quiet, secluded location in the Maryland mountains, far from the White House and Washington, D.C., was an ideal location. His team soon reached out to Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat, and a date was set. The talks would begin in September.
While the three leaders spent most of their time at Camp David discussing various proposals, the president’s staff did their best to keep the atmosphere cordial and friendly. When they arrived, the leaders were greeted by the U.S. Marine Corps Band, playing songs from the canons of all three nations. At receptions, Mrs. Carter worked with the staff to encourage members of the delegations to mingle by strategically placing plates of food around the room.
As the talks continued, Jimmy Carter even took President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin on a tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield to inspire unity in the face of disagreements. While Sadat eagerly discussed the history with National Park Service Rangers, Carter worried that Begin was not interested in the tour. He was proven wrong when Begin began to recite the Gettysburg Address from memory.
Despite these efforts, the talks nearly broke down several times. At one point, a frustrated Begin prepared to return home. Before leaving, he asked for signed pictures of the three leaders to give as presents to his grandchildren. In an effort to save the talks, President Carter’s secretary contacted the Israeli government to obtain the children’s names, which allowed the president to personally address each signed photograph. The extra effort moved Begin to stay and continue the talks.
The leaders reached an agreement after 13 days. In the White House East Room on September 17, 1978, the three men signed the historic Framework for Peace in the Middle East agreement. For their efforts, Sadat and Begin received the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. Carter was awarded the same honor in 2002, many years after he left the White House.
