IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 282 
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between Egypt and 
Israel. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 24, 2009 
Mr. FORTENBERRY (for himself and Mr. ELLISON) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between 
Egypt and Israel. 
Whereas the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel signed in 
Washington, DC, on March 26, 1979, set an unprece-
dented example of reconciliation following decades 
marked by periods of heightened confrontation and ten-
sion, including the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Suez Cri-
sis of 1956, the War of Attrition along the Suez Canal, 
and the Arab-Israeli War of 1973; 
Whereas United States diplomatic efforts and initiatives in 
the aftermath of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War helped build 
the foundations of a lasting peace between Egypt and 
Israel; 
Whereas pursuant to an invitation by Israeli Prime Minister 
Menachem Begin, President Anwar al-Sadat became the 
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first Arab leader to visit and recognize Israel on Novem-
ber 20, 1977, when he delivered a historic address before 
Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, calling for Egypt and 
Israel to ‘‘. . . stand together with the . . . boldness of 
heroes who dedicate themselves to a sublime aim . . . to 
erect a huge edifice of peace . . . an edifice that . . . 
serves as a beacon for generations to come’’; 
Whereas Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President 
Sadat demonstrated remarkable character and courage in 
their willingness to move beyond decades of hostility, bit-
terness, and mistrust to launch an unprecedented rap-
prochement without any guarantee as to the potential 
outcome of their mutual determination to engage in 
United States-mediated peace talks; 
Whereas successive administrations worked diligently to fa-
cilitate intensive discussions in the hope of achieving a 
historic diplomatic breakthrough on Middle East peace, 
and President Jimmy Carter invited the two leaders to 
Camp David for intensive discussions from September 5– 
17, 1978; 
Whereas, on September 17, 1978, the United States wit-
nessed the signing of two framework agreements between 
the Governments of Egypt and Israel, ‘‘A Framework for 
Peace in the Middle East’’ and ‘‘A Framework for the 
Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel’’; 
Whereas, on March 26, 1979, President Sadat and Prime 
Minister Begin signed the first treaty between an Arab 
nation and Israel; 
Whereas the primary features of the peace treaty included 
the mutual recognition of Egypt and Israel by each other, 
the end of the state of war between the two nations dat-
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•HRES 282 IH 
ing back to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the complete 
withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians 
from the Sinai Peninsula, freedom of passage for Israeli 
ships through the Suez Canal, and recognition of the 
Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba as international 
waterways; 
Whereas United States leadership played a decisive role in 
enabling Egypt and Israel to set aside longstanding ani-
mosities; 
Whereas the conclusion of the treaty between Egypt and 
Israel set a courageous example of statesmanship in the 
face of widespread opposition; 
Whereas as a direct result of the peace treaty, the Arab 
League suspended Egypt from its membership from 1979 
until 1989; 
Whereas, in 1981, President Sadat was assassinated in Cairo 
by Egyptian soldiers who belonged to the Gama‘ah 
Islamiyah (Islamic Group) and Egyptian Islamic Jihad; 
Whereas, on October 26, 1994, Israeli Prime Minister 
Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan followed in 
the path set by President Sadat and Prime Minister 
Begin, signing the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace; 
Whereas the legacy of the treaty was poignantly echoed at 
the memorial service of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak 
Rabin, who was assassinated on November 4, 1995; 
Whereas, despite the existence of tensions and grievances, the 
peace treaty between Egypt and Israel continues to chal-
lenge presuppositions about the intransigence of conflict 
in the Middle East and provides an enduring framework 
for facilitating dialogue; and 
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Whereas Egypt and Israel continue to collaborate in ongoing 
efforts to address regional difficulties despite the security 
challenges facing both nations: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the 30th anniversary of the peace 
treaty between Egypt and Israel, celebrates the trea-
ty’s strength and endurance, and commends the ex-
traordinary diplomatic achievement that the treaty 
exemplifies; 
(2) recalls the historic sacrifices sustained by 
Egypt and Israel in cause of peace and commends 
the steadfast determination of both nations to sus-
tain their mutual commitment to peace; 
(3) calls for the strengthening of economic, dip-
lomatic, and cultural relations between Egypt and 
Israel; 
(4) urges the Governments of Egypt and Israel 
to strengthen the spirit of cooperation that emerged 
in 1979 as the Middle East faces new challenges; 
(5) seeks to encourage continued United States 
efforts to foster candid, constructive initiatives to re-
solve existing conflicts and mitigate current and 
emerging threats to a just and lasting Middle East 
peace; and 
(6) calls for recognition of the peace treaty be-
tween Egypt and Israel as a model mechanism upon 
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which partner nations may build to overcome long-
standing barriers to peace and effective mutual co-
operation. 
Æ 
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