Cairo, Aswan, Mount Sinai And Tel Aviv

It was two years to the day after his courageous and sensational visit to Jerusalem that President Sadat flew to Mount Sinai and raised the Egyptian flag there. The area had been newly handed back to Egypt by Israel as part of the agreed withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula. Sadat used the occasion to announce a new ambition - to unify three of the world's greatest religions, Muslim, Christian and Jewish.

On February 26, 1980, the Israeli flag, the Star of David, was unfurled at Israel's newly opened embassy in Cairo. The official in charge declared:

"From this moment Israel has its house in Egypt, and within a few days Egypt will have its house in Israel". The Egyptians did open their embassy in Tel Aviv later the same week.

These developments were of course in pursuance of the Camp David agreement. At the Aswan Summit Meeting (the sixth since Camp David), between Premier Begin and President Sadat, there was agreement to resume normal relations between Israel and Egypt on January 26, 1980, and to exchange ambassadors a month later. Egypt undertook to establish direct air services between Tel Aviv and Cairo, to set up postal and communication links, and open the land borders between the two countries to civilian traffic.

On the issue of autonomy for the Palestinian Arabs who live in the Gaza Strip and West Bank areas, however, only limited progress seemed p05sible. The Israelis insist that autonomy means only a limited measure of self-rule for the Palestinians. The Egyptians press for significant steps towards ultimate independence for these two regions. Feeling runs high between Jews and Palestinians on this issue, as shown by a number of episodes Arab mayors in these areas resigned en masse as a protest against the arrest of the Mayor of Nablus for allegedly approving terrorist activity.

An ultra nationalist group of Israeli settlers seemed set to defy a Supreme Court order that declared its West Bank settlement illegal; but they were finally persuaded to accept an alternative site five miles away.

Other West Bank Jewish settlers pressed their right to live in the Arab town of Hebron. The Israeli Cabinet's agreement in principle aroused strong resentment among Palestinian Arabs.

The issue of Jewish settlement in Arab areas was before the Security Council of the United Nations, and was at first unanimously condemned

- until President Carter announced that the American representative should have abstained and not voted in favour of the resolution.

Towards the end of the Aswan Summit Begin is reported as saying:

"Autonomy is a novelty, and we must be patient". He did, however, promise to discuss with his Cabinet a new two-part proposal by which autonomy would first be put into effect in Gaza. Compared with the West Bank, the Gaza Strip does not arouse such emotional and religious resentments among Israeli nationalists.

In both Israel and Egypt tremendous hopes had been stirred by the prospect of peace following the Camp David Agreement. It was expected that some relief from military burdens, and expanded trade opportunities, would bring solid economic advantages to both countries. In the event, these hopes have so far been disappointed. Early this year inflation in Israel was running at 100%: some food prices went up by 50% overnight! "A popular argument questions the use of celebrating peace if you cannot do so on a full stomach". Egypt has fared badly too. Millions of Egyptians live below the bread line. President Sadat's repeated assurances that the rewards of peace will surely come if only his people are patient must eventually wear thin. Because other Arab States are annoyed at Egypt's treaty with Israel, they are limiting financial assistance, making Egypt's economic situation more difficult. So there is increasing disillusionment.

At an ancient time of crisis, in the days of Isaiah, the people of Israel looked to Egypt for help (Isa. 30:1-7; 31:1; 36:6,7). The result was sadly recorded by Jeremiah: "In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save" (Lam. 4:17). For Egypt's once immense power was even then on the wane. "Thus saith the Lord GOD, ... I will bring again the captivity of Egypt... and they shall be there a base kingdom... neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations ... and it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel" (Ezek. 29:13-16). Attempts to sustain the existing peace treaty between Israel and Egypt may appear to have some success for a while. But it seems clear from Joel 3:19 that Egypt will be included in a dire visitation of judgement at the time of Messiah's advent to deliver Israel and establish His millennial kingdom. So we may expect Egypt again to be found ranged among the adversaries of Israel as the final crisis of the nations develops. True peace is already proving elusive, and the peace treaty fragile. "We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold dismay!" (Jer. 8:15).

President Sadat's expressed ambition to unify the Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions reflects his blindness to the Person of Christ, the Prince of Peace. For when the unique claims of God's Son are disregarded, human efforts to achieve lasting peace must fail. "When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape" (1 Thess. 5:3).

unknown | Jul 1980
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