Making peace with Egypt : List of files |

The collection currently includes 8 stenographic records from the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence committee and 47 files from a collection of 120.

Text of the Camp David Accords

A390/3 Israel State Archives – Collection of Special Documents for Display

Knesset

Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee

A239/8

29 September 1978

Prime Minister Menachem Begin presents the Camp David Accords to the committee during the Knesset debate. He describes the Egyptian and American proposals during the summit and the Israeli response, the crisis over Jerusalem and the dispute over the settlement freeze during the negotiations. He defends the decision to recommend the evacuation of the Sinai settlements.

17 October 1978

Prime Minister Begin reports on the progress of the talks in Washington on the peace treaty with Egypt and replies to the concerns of the committee members about the US interpretation of the agreement on autonomy for the Palestinians.

24 October 1978

Defence Minister Ezer Weizman and Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, who led the Israeli delegation in Washington, update the committee on the draft treaty, the subjects agreed with the Egyptians and those still in dispute. Meir Rosenne, the legal adviser, presents legal aspects of the treaty.

16 November 1978

Foreign Minister Dayan, who has returned from Washington for the government debate on the draft treaty, says that the draft is settled and the main issue remaining is the joint letter to be signed by Begin and Sadat on setting up autonomy. The Egyptians demand a target date and propose setting up autonomy in “Gaza first”. Objections by committee members to these proposals.

A239/9

20 November 1978

Defence Minister Weizman responds to criticism in his party and the government of the delagation in Washington. Israel has been negotiating from a position of strength and the US did not press it for concessions. Egypt was disappointed with the government decision not to approve early withdrawal from El Arish.

22 November 1978

Deputy Prime Minister Yigael Yadin, standing in for the prime minister, presents the government decision to approve the draft treatry with Egypt but to reject Egypt’s demands on the joint letter.

5 November 1978

Prof. Benjamin Akzin, a legal expert, and Prof. Menachem Milson, the ex-adviser on Arab affairs to the Officer in Charge of Co-Ordination in the Occupied Territories, survey the historical background to the proposal for Palestinan autonomy in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

A239/10

11 December 1978

In the framework of discussions on the autonomy plan, Prof. Menachem Milson describes the negative attitude of most of the Palestinian population to Sadat’s initiative and the Camp David Accords.