Anwar Sadat's Visit to Jerusalem and the Camp David Accords in 10 Minutes

In a stunning break with three decades of rejection, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat flew to Jerusalem in November 1977, stepped onto Israeli soil, and addressed the Knesset—an act of personal and political courage that shattered the Arab taboo against recognizing the Jewish state. The visit opened the path to the Camp David Accords of 1978, where Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, under the patient mediation of President Carter, forged the framework for the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty: Israel's full withdrawal from the Sinai in exchange for Egypt's recognition, diplomatic relations, and an end to the state of war. For both nations the moment remains a rare triumph of statesmanship over hatred, even as it cost Sadat his life and left the wider conflict unresolved.