What was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel?

A landmark moment in Middle Eastern history occurred in 1978 at the U.S. presidential retreat, Camp David. Hosted by President Jimmy Carter, the summit brought together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for thirteen days of intense negotiations. The resulting Camp David Accords laid the groundwork for the formal Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, which was signed the following year in 1979. This treaty officially ended the state of war that had existed between the two nations since 1948, making Egypt the first Arab country to formally recognize the state of Israel.

This diplomatic breakthrough represented a monumental shift, as the two nations had previously fought in four major wars, most recently the Yom Kippur War of 1973. A key part of the agreement was Israel's phased withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, which it had captured during the Six-Day War in 1967. In exchange, Egypt established full diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations with Israel, allowing for the free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal.

For their efforts, Sadat and Begin were jointly awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. The move was highly controversial in the Arab world, leading to Egypt's temporary suspension from the Arab League. Tragically, President Sadat was assassinated in 1981 by extremists who opposed the treaty. Despite the controversy and its violent aftermath, the peace agreement has endured for decades, fundamentally reshaping the political landscape of the region.