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Gaza Under Attack

Turning Point

Turning Point: 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty

On 19 November 1977 Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, and once sworn enemy of Israel, made history by becoming the first Arab leader to step foot onto the Jewish homeland. The visit paved the way for an agreement between Egypt and Israel; the deal, however, was negotiated without Palestinian representation and left them feeling gravely betrayed. In this episode of MEE’s history series Turning Point, we take a look at how the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty legitimised Israeli occupation and how it impacted the Palestinian struggle for liberation.