Egypt, Israel's 25 years of 'cold peace'

About 25 years ago, many around the world thought that violence in the Middle East had reached its peak. Today, in the midst of the heightened violence in the Middle East, peace seems to be a distant dream. This comes as Israel continues to bypass peace initiatives and takes an aggressive stance, rejecting all avenues for a peaceful Middle East.

Treaties and accords in the area have been relegated to the stockpile of signed papers gathering dust in government offices. After 25 years of peace between Israel and Egypt, the Cold Peace, as both sides call it, has, in fact, frozen.

On September 17, 1978, Egypt, Israel and the United States signed the Camp David Accord. It consisted of two documents - the first provided a framework for a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, while the second was a framework agreement for negotiations regarding a five-year autonomy plan for the West Bank and Gaza.

After the details were discussed, the Egypt-Israel peace treaty was signed on March 26, 1979. The agreement clearly defined the future relations between the two countries, all aspects of withdrawal from the Sinai, military arrangements in the peninsula such as de-militarisation and limitations, as well as the supervision mechanism.

It demanded normal relations between Egypt and Israel in all fields, including diplomatic, economic and cultural. It terminated economic boycotts and barriers to the free movement of goods and people and mutual protection of citizens by the due process of law.

Proud of what he saw as his role in the signing of the accord, Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat believed that as he had freed his country from Israeli occupation, his actions would also lead to freeing the Palestinians from the hardships of occupation.

However, he did not live to witness this. On October 6, 1981, he was assassinated for what was regarded as his treachery.

Learning from his downfall, Sadat's successor, President Hosni Mubarak, decided to show extreme caution in Egypt's relations with Israel. He did not want to sacrifice a treaty that had liberated his land, yet he did not want to anger the Arab world or isolate himself from it.

Mubarak continued to carry out contractual commitments under Camp David. For example, in 1991, Egyptian-Israeli trade of non-oil products was $10 million.

For a few years following the treaty, there were good diplomatic relations between the two countries. Slowly, Israel began to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula. By April 25, 1982, Israel would complete its withdrawal.

However, these good relations did not last long. In 1982, the first break in the relation occurred when Israel refused to withdraw from Taba, disputing a strip on the border of Taba.

In addition, Israel's invasion of Lebanon, which left no less than 20,000 dead, triggered widespread anger in Egypt as well as in the Arab world at large. In response, Egypt froze all diplomatic ties with Israel and recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv.

It was only three years since the peace treaty had been signed and relations had already soured. By 1985 Israel had withdrawn from Taba and most of Lebanon and the Egyptian ambassador returned to Tel Aviv.

Up until that point, the Arab world had boycotted Egypt in response to the Egypt-Israel peace treaty. The Taba crisis opened the doors for Egypt-Arab ties. In 1983, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat visited Mubarak for the first time since the boycott in 1980. Egypt was also re-admitted to the Arab League. These two events defined Egypt-Israeli relations. It began to reflect what had happened on the Palestinian front.

When Benjamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister in 1996, relations with Egypt deteriorated. Netanyahu showed no interest in peace. He was against the Oslo agreement.

Instead he signed two peace deals - one in January, 1997, handing over 80 per cent of Hebron to Palestinian rule and the other in October, 1998, calling for Israeli withdrawal from 13 per cent of the West Bank in exchange for Palestinian security measures. Although he signed the two deals he continued to build Jewish colonies in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In response, Mubarak warned that the expansion of the colonies was "extremely harmful" to Mid-East peace talks, while Netanyahu blamed Egypt for the ongoing violent attacks in the region.

At that point Egyptian-Israeli relations began to deteriorate further and both started referring to the peace treaty of 1979 as the "cold peace".

Netanyahu was followed by Ehud Barak. In the summer of 2000, Barak met Mubarak in an attempt to draw up a second Camp David accord. Israel presented Egypt with a non-negotiable offer that was too ambiguous for the Arabs. Egypt refused the offer and Camp David two was a failure.

As Egypt began to play a prominent role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, it insisted on a settlement that would bring Israel back to the 1967 borders in return for recognition of a Jewish state, something Israel was not willing to do. In turn, the Israeli government refused to let Palestinian refugees return or receive compensation.

Over the years, Israel has tried to bypass Egypt as it tries to separately negotiate peace with the Palestinians and Jordanians.

In 1994, when the declaration of principles was signed between the Palestinians and the Israelis in Washington, Israel excluded the Egyptian government. Israel tried to restrict Egypt's role in the 1993 Oslo accord and the 1994 Jordan-Israeli peace treaty as well.

However, now both parties know that a peace process without improved ties has no chance of succeeding. Mubarak invited Sharon to Egypt after the Israeli elections on January 28 last year.

This was the first time that the two leaders had spoken, since Sharon was elected in early 2001. Critical of Sharon's crack-down on the Palestinian uprising (Intifada), Egypt responded by re-calling its ambassador from Tel Aviv and limiting ties with it.

Last month, when Egypt was asked by Israel to take control of part of the Gaza Strip in the event of an Israeli withdrawal, it agreed to take responsibility but only for its border with the Gaza strip.

Key dates
* November 21, 1977: Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat makes a historic visit to Israel, addresses the Knesset and makes a direct appeal for peace.

* December, 1977: Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin makes his first visit to Egypt.

* September 17,1978: The Camp David Accords are signed in Washington D.C.

* March 26, 1979: The Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty is signed. Arab states sever ties with Egypt and the Arab League headquarters is moved from Cairo to Tunisia. Arab financial aid to Egypt is cut off

* February 17, 1980: Israel opens an embassy in Egypt

* February 25, 1980: Israel's first ambassador, Eliyahu Ben Elissar, presents his credentials to President Sadat and Egypt's first ambassador to Israel, Saad Murtada, presents his credentials to Israel's President Yitzhak Navon

* October 6, 1981: Sadat is assassinated, Hosni Mubarak becomes President

* April, 1982: Israel withdraws from Occupied Sinai except for a disputed strip on the border at Taba

* June 6, 1982: Israel invade