1. Efforts at Peace

2. Station 1: Camp David Accords
1977: Egyptian president Anwar Sadat made a momentous declaration: Egypt wanted peace with Israel
Until the late 1970s, no Arab nation had recognized Israel’s right to exist
U.S. president Jimmy Carter invited Sadat & the Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin to Camp David (presidential retreat in Maryland)
1978: Sadat and Begin reached agreement known as Camp David Accords
Egypt recognized Israel and in exchange, Israel returned Sinai Peninsula to Egypt
Treaty ended 30 years hostility between Egypt, Israel
However, Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists because he worked with Israel

3. Station 1: Camp David Accords (1979)
President
Anwar Sadat
of Egypt
President
Jimmy Carter
of the U.S.
Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel

4. Station 2: Israeli-Palestinian Tensions Increase
One Arab group that continued to clash with the Israelis was the Palestinians.
A large group of whom lived in the West Bank and Gaza Strip --- lands occupied by Israel
In 1987, Palestinians began to express their frustrations in a widespread campaign of civil disobedience called the intifada, or ‘uprising’.
The intifada took the form of boycotts, demonstrations, attacks, rock throwing
Many of these protesters were teenagers
The intifada continued into the 1990’s with little progress toward a solution
It did affect world opinion, putting pressure on Israel to seek negotiations with the Palestinians
In Oct. 1991, Israeli and Palestinian delegates met for a series of peace talks
Negotiations between the two sides made little progress

5. Station 3: The Oslo Peace Accords
1993: Secret talks held in Oslo, Norway between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin produced a surprise agreement
Israel agreed to gradually grant the Palestinians self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Rabin and Arafat win the Nobel Peace Prize
However, extremists on both sides worked to undermine the peace process
The militant group Hamas (Palestinians) launched suicide bombings in Israel
Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by Israeli extremists
Benjamin Netanyahu was elected as his successor
Relations between Israeli and Palestinian leadership soured

6. Station 4: Working Toward a Solution
July 2000: Ehud Barak (new PM of Israel) met with Arafat at Camp David hosted by Bill Clinton
However, no compromise could be reached and peace plans stalled
2000: Second intifada began, along with suicide bombings
2001: Ariel Sharon was elected as the new PM of Israel, but refused to negotiate with Palestinians
2004: Arafat died, succeeded by Mahmoud Abbas
George W. Bush brought Sharon and Abbas together to begin working on a new peace plan known as the ‘road map’