54 | DECEMBER 17 • 2020 Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org The Camp David Accords T he historic “ Abraham Accords” were announced on Aug. 13, 2020. Israel signed “normaliza- tion agreements” with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Later, Sudan and Morocco joined the process. This event was significant and a source of reports and essays for media in the U.S., Israel and around the world. Two weeks ago, the JN featured an analysis of the Accords by Dana Regev and an essay from former managing editor of the Jewish Telegraph Agency, Howard Lovy. The overwhelming majority of observers believe that the Accords constitute a positive step for- ward for Israel; however, the magnitude of the agreements is still unknown. Will the accords spur other Middle Eastern nations to normalize relations with Israel? Will the participants fulfill their commitments? How does this affect Israeli-Palestinian relations? Regardless of the many questions surrounding the implementation of the agreements, the Abraham Accords are indeed a historic moment in time. The Accords represent the first peace agreements for Israel with Arab nations since it signed pacts with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. This raised a ques- tion — how were those two historical events covered in the JN? So, I dove into The William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History for answers. The blockbuster, pathbreaking agree- ment was the one between Israel and Egypt, the largest Arab nation in the Middle East and the nation that fought several major wars with Israel beginning in 1948. This agreement, the “Camp David Accords,” was reached during negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, led by President Jimmy Carter at the presidential retreat, Camp David, in 1978. The normaliza- tion pact was formally signed in 1979. The JN covered the Camp David Accords from start to finish. The front pages in September 1978 were dominated by headlines and photographs related to the negotiations: “Wishes for Continuing Talks Dominate Camp David Drama” (Sept. 1); “Jimmy Carter Hails Begin Before Camp David Summit” (Sept. 8); “Optimism Echoes at Camp David Summit”(Sept. 15); and finally, on Sept. 22, the front page had a photo of Carter, Begin and Sadat signing the agreements, and page 2 featured an in-depth report about the statements from each partic- ipant and an essay from editor Philip Slomovitz. The JN editorial for that week was “‘Shalom, ‘Salaam,’ ‘Peace,’ Reality.” The front page of the JN for Oct. 3, 1979, was devoted to the formal signing of the agreement. It is interesting that, while certainly important, Israel’s peace agreement with Jordan did not receive extensive cover- age. Of course, Jordan is a much smaller, decidedly less powerful nation, and Israel had already ongoing relations with Jordan’s King Hussein. The first mention of formal negotiations was a small item on page 35 of the June 24, 1994, issue of the JN: “Israel, Jordan Eye Agreement.” Peace negotiations only made one appearance on the front page of the July 7 issue of the JN. Otherwise, only a few small items on the agreements can be found. Nevertheless, despite occasional issues, peace between Israel, Egypt and Jordan has held for many years. Let us hope that the Abraham Accords do as well, and that they are just the tip of the diplomatic iceberg toward normaliza- tion in the Middle East at-large. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfounda- tion.org. Mike Smith Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History pages in September 1978 were dominated Israel had already ongoing relations with Jordan’s King Hussein. The first mention appearance on the front page of the July . Otherwise, only a few issues, peace between Israel, Egypt and well, and that they are just the tip of the Go to the DJN Foundation