Sold – In the Wake of the Camp David Accords, One of Carter’s Greatest Accomplishments, He Gives the Credit to Sadat and Begin and Hopes for a “Lasting Peace”

When Carter assumed office on January 20, 1977, Israel and the entire Arab world were on terms of hostility. He moved to rejuvenate what was left of the stalled Middle East peace process, and broke with tradition by opting to replace the incremental, bilateral peace talks which had characterized Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy following the 1973 Yom Kippur War with a comprehensive, multilateral approach. It was September 5, 1978 when President Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin climbed in helicopters and disappeared behind the chain-link fence of Camp David, the Presidential retreat in Maryland. The time of decision had come, after nearly a year of drifting and backpedaling after Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem. As it was later described, the Camp David Summit came close to breaking down at least once. Begin said that it began to resemble a marathon, with meetings that lasted until 3:00 a.m. and then starting again to prepare for the next session after only a few hours' sleep. Carter was directly involved in the process, and the conclusion was a personal triumph for him. Begin said that the real name of the meeting should be the Jimmy Carter Summit, and Sadat remarked, “It signals the emersion of a new peace initiative with the American nation in behalf of the entire process: peace." The Camp David Accords were signed on September 17.

The result was the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, a development so shocking at the time that people could barely believe it; and this led directly to Sadat and Begin sharing the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. It was the most important accomplishment of the Carter administration. Typed Letter Signed, on White House letterhead, Washington, September 29, 1978, to Senator Howard Cannon of Nevada, thanking him for his congratulations. “I thank you for your kind note on the Summit, and am grateful for your support. The credit for this achievement must go to President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin, the great and able leaders who made Camp David a success. I hope that you will lend continuing support to their efforts to make this a lasting peace.” This letter was obtained directly from the Cannon heirs and has never before been offered for sale.

Although the Middle East problems remain with us today, there were four wars in the region in the 30 years before Camp David, and none in the 34 years since.