Menachem Begin and the Israel-Egypt Peace Process: Between Ideology and Political Realism

Description

Focusing on the character and personality of Menachem Begin, Gerald Steinberg and Ziv Rubinovitz offer a new look into the peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt in the 1970s. Begin's role as a peace negotiator has often been marginalized, but this sympathetic and critical portrait restores him to the center of the diplomatic process. Beginning with the events of 1967, Steinberg and Rubinovitz look at Begin's statements on foreign policy, including relations with Egypt, and his role as Prime Minister and chief signer of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty. While Begin did not leave personal memoirs or diaries of the peace process, Steinberg and Rubinovitz have tapped into newly released Israeli archives and information housed at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and the Begin Heritage Center. The analysis illuminates the complexities that Menachem Begin faced in navigating between ideology and political realism in the negotiations towards a peace treaty that remains a unique diplomatic achievement. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. The Six-Day War and the Emergence of Begin’s Approach to Peace: 1967–70 Chapter 2. Return to Opposition: 1970–77 Chapter 3. Setting the Stage: May–November 1977 Chapter 4. From Jerusalem to Camp David: December 1977–August 1978 Chapter 5. Camp David—Between Psychology and Political Realism: September 1978 Chapter 6. The Domestic Political Struggle over the Camp David Accords: September 1978 Chapter 7. From a Framework to a Peace Treaty: October 1978–March 1979 Chapter 8. Implementation: A Glass Half Full Chapter 9. Analysis and Implications Bibliography Index About the Authors