Editing Anwar Sadat (section)

===Peace with Israel===
{{main|Egypt–Israel peace treaty|Anwar Sadat's visit to Israel, 1977}}
{{external media | width=210px | float=right | audio1=[https://www.loc.gov/rr/record/pressclub/sadat.html National Press Club Luncheon Speakers] Anwar Sadat, 6 February 1978, [[National Press Club (United States)|National Press Club]]. Speech begins at 7:31<ref name="npc">{{cite web | url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/record/pressclub/sadat.html| title=National Press Club Luncheon Speakers, Anwar Sadat, February 6, 1978 | publisher=[[National Press Club (United States)|National Press Club]] via [[Library of Congress]] | date=February 6, 1978}}</ref> }}
[[File:Carter, Sadat, and Begin at the Peace Treaty Signing, March 26, 1979 (10729561495).jpg|thumb|right|President Jimmy Carter shaking hands with Sadat and Israeli prime minister [[Menachem Begin]] at the signing of the [[Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty]] on the grounds of the [[White House]], 1979]]
The initial Egyptian and Syrian victories in the war restored popular morale throughout Egypt and the Arab World and, for many years after, Sadat was known as the "Hero of the Crossing". Israel recognized Egypt as a formidable foe, and Egypt's renewed political significance eventually led to regaining and reopening the [[Suez Canal]] through the peace process. His new peace policy led to the conclusion of two agreements on disengagement of forces with the Israeli government. The first of these agreements was signed on 18 January 1974, and the second on 4 September 1975.

One major aspect of Sadat's peace policy was to gain some religious support for his efforts. Already during his visit to the US in October–November 1975, he invited Evangelical pastor [[Billy Graham]] for an official visit, which was held a few days after Sadat's visit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=200199&dt=2476&dl=1345 |title=Text of diplomatic cable regarding Graham's visit to Egypt (US government website)|access-date=2 February 2011}}</ref> In addition to cultivating relations with Evangelical Christians in the US, he also built some cooperation with the Vatican. On 8 April 1976, he visited the Vatican for the first time, and got a message of support from [[Pope Paul VI]] regarding achieving peace with Israel, to include a just solution to the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict|Palestinian issue]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/speeches/1976/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19760408_presidente-egitto_en.html |title=Text of Pope's message to Sadat |publisher=Vatican|year=1976 |access-date=2 February 2011}}</ref> Sadat, on his part, extended to the Pope a public invitation to visit Cairo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=80873&dt=2082&dl=1345| title=John Anthony Volpe (US Ambassador to Italy), cable describing Sadat's visit to the Vatican| access-date=2 February 2011}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2021}}

Sadat also used the media to promote his purposes. In an interview he gave to the Lebanese magazine ''[[Al Hawadeth]]'' in early February 1976, he claimed he had secret commitment from the US government to put pressure on the Israeli government for a major withdrawal in Sinai and the Golan Heights.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.sadat.umd.edu/archives/remarks/AAFX%20Hawadeth2.3.76.pdf.PDF|title=Sadat interview to El Hawadeth |access-date=2 February 2011| archive-date=12 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112220609/http://sadat.umd.edu/archives/remarks/AAFX%20Hawadeth2.3.76.pdf.PDF}}</ref> This statement caused some concern to the Israeli government, but Secretary of State Henry Kissinger denied such a promise was ever made.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://foia.state.gov/documents/Kissinger/0000D748.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816133434/http://foia.state.gov/documents/Kissinger/0000D748.pdf |archive-date=2011-08-16 |url-status=live|title=Telephone conversation between Kissinger and Rabin, February 5, 1976|access-date=2 February 2011}}</ref>

In January 1977, a series of [[1977 Egyptian Bread Riots|'Bread Riots']] protested Sadat's economic liberalization and specifically a government decree lifting [[price controls]] on basic necessities like bread. The riots lasted for two days and included hundreds of thousands in Cairo. 120 buses and hundreds of buildings were destroyed in Cairo alone.<ref>Mary Ann Weaver, ''Portrait of Egypt'', p. 25</ref> The riots ended with the deployment of the army and the re-institution of the subsidies/price controls.<ref>{{cite book| last=Olivier|first=Roy|page=[https://archive.org/details/failureofpolitic00royo/page/56 56]|title=Failure of Political Islam| location=Cambridge |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|year=1994|isbn=978-0-674-29140-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/failureofpolitic00royo/page/56}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Weaver |first=Mary Ann |page=[https://archive.org/details/portraitofegyptj00weav/page/25 25]|title=Portrait of Egypt |location=New York| publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|year=1999|isbn=978-0-374-23542-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/portraitofegyptj00weav/page/25}}</ref> During this time, Sadat was also taking a new approach towards improving relations with the West.<ref name=nytobit/>

The United States and the Soviet Union agreed on 1 October 1977, on principles to govern a Geneva conference on the Middle East.<ref name=nytobit/> Syria continued to resist such a conference.<ref name=nytobit/> Not wanting either Syria or the Soviet Union to influence the peace process, Sadat decided to take more progressive stance towards building a comprehensive peace agreement with Israel.<ref name=nytobit/>

The [[1977 visit by Anwar Sadat to Israel]] was the first time an Arab leader officially visited Israel. Sadat met with Israeli prime minister [[Menachem Begin]], and spoke before the [[Knesset]] in [[Jerusalem]] about his views on how to achieve a comprehensive peace to the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]], which included the full implementation of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 242|UN Resolutions 242]] and [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 338|338]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-723321 | title=Looking back at Egypt's Anwar Sadat's historic Jerusalem visit, 45 years ago – opinion | first=Mark | last=Regev  | work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] | date=November 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://ecf.org.il/issues/issue/836 | title=Egyptian President Sadat's Speech in Jerusalem (1977) | publisher=[[Economic Cooperation Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | url=https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article-abstract/45/1/127/95253/Sadat-and-the-Road-to-Jerusalem-Bold-Gestures-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext | title=Sadat and the Road to Jerusalem: Bold Gestures and Risk Acceptance in the Search for Peace | first=Shahin | last=Berenji | journal=[[International Security (journal)|International Security]] | date=1 July 2020| volume=45 | pages=127–163 | doi=10.1162/isec_a_00381 }}</ref>

The Peace treaty was finally signed by Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin in Washington, D.C., United States, on 26 March 1979, following the [[Camp David Accords]], a series of meetings between Egypt and Israel facilitated by US president [[Jimmy Carter]]. Both Sadat and Begin were awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] for creating the treaty. In his acceptance speech, Sadat referred to the long-awaited peace desired by both Arabs and Israelis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/al-sadat-lecture.html|title=Anwar Al-Sadat |access-date=22 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209035459/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/al-sadat-lecture.html|archive-date=9 February 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The main features of the agreement were the mutual recognition of each country by the other, the cessation of the state of war that had existed since the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]], and the complete withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the rest of the [[Sinai Peninsula]], which Israel had captured during the 1967 [[Six-Day War]].

The agreement also provided for the free passage of Israeli ships through the [[Suez Canal]] and recognition of the [[Strait of Tiran]] and the [[Gulf of Aqaba]] as international waterways. The agreement notably made Egypt the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel. The peace agreement between Egypt and Israel has remained in effect since the treaty was signed.
[[File:Egyptian_President_Anwar_el-Sadat_waves_as_he_departs_from_a_state_visit_to_the_US_-_DPLA_-_8defc24ecf4c7ea5f6db9bc6cdfdb66d.jpeg|thumb|Sadat in 1978]]
The treaty was extremely unpopular in most of the Arab World and the wider Muslim World.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vatikiotis |first=P.J. |title=The History of Modern Egypt |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofmoderne00vati |url-access=registration |edition=Fourth |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmoderne00vati/page/443 443] |location=Baltimore |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University]] |year=1992|isbn=978-0-8018-4214-6}}</ref> His predecessor Nasser had made Egypt an icon of Arab nationalism, an ideology that appeared to be sidelined by an Egyptian orientation following the 1973 war (see [[National identity of Egyptians]]). The neighboring Arab countries believed that in signing the accords, Sadat had put Egypt's interests ahead of Arab unity, betraying Nasser's [[pan-Arabism]], and destroyed the vision of a united "Arab front" for the support of the Palestinians against the "Zionist Entity". However, Sadat decided early on that peace was the solution.<ref name=nytobit>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/07/obituaries/anwar-el-sadat-daring-arab-pioneer-peace-with-israel-sadat-s-innovations-sprang.html |title=Anwar el-Sadat, the Daring Arab Pioneer of Peace with Israel |last=Pace |first=Eric |work=[[The New York Times]]  |date=7 October 1981}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/press.html|title=The Nobel Peace Prize 1978 – Presentation Speech|publisher=Nobel prize|year=1978|access-date=2 February 2011}}</ref> Sadat's shift towards a strategic relationship with the US was also seen as a betrayal by many Arabs. In the United States his peace moves gained him popularity among some [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] circles. He was awarded the Prince of Peace Award by [[Pat Robertson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patrobertson.com/Teaching/patprophecy.asp|title=Teaching|publisher=Pat Robertson|access-date=2 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221080848/http://patrobertson.com/Teaching/patprophecy.asp|archive-date=21 December 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1979, the [[Arab League]] suspended Egypt in the wake of the Egyptian–Israel peace agreement, and the League moved its headquarters from [[Cairo]] to [[Tunis]]. Arab League member states believed in the elimination of the "Zionist Entity" and Israel at that time. It was not until 1989 that the League re-admitted Egypt as a member, and returned its headquarters to Cairo. As part of the peace deal, Israel withdrew from the [[Sinai Peninsula]] in phases, completing its withdrawal from the entire territory except the town of Taba by 25 April 1982 (withdrawal from which did not occur until 1989).<ref name=nytobit/> The improved relations Egypt gained with the West through the [[Camp David Accords]] soon gave the country resilient economic growth.<ref name=nytobit/> By 1980, however, Egypt's strained relations with the Arab World would result in a period of rapid inflation.<ref name=nytobit/>