(Saudi Gazette) Editorial - The Palestinians should not be too quick to dismiss the invitation extended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address Israel's parliament. The invitation is reminiscent of the one issued by former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to visit Israel - and the rest is history. On Nov. 19, 1977, Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel when he met with Begin and spoke before the Knesset in Jerusalem about his views on how to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The visit led to the 1978 Camp David accords, then the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in the U.S. the following year. For good measure, both Sadat and Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for creating the treaty. For all its shortcomings, Camp David demonstrated that negotiations with Israel were possible and that progress could be made through sustained efforts at communication and cooperation.
2016-09-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive