".... Today, as we seek to expand the circle of peace among Arabs and Israelis, we take inspiration from what Israel and Egypt achieved three decades ago, knowing that the destination is worthy of the struggle."
-- Pres. Barack Hussein Obama ~ March 26, 2009
Somehow, the powers-that-be are never so inspired by the price(s) Israelis have paid for hope(s) of peace.
Following the Israel – Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979, Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula, in exchange for peace with its neighbor. For over two decades, the Sinai Peninsula was home to about 7,000 Israelis.
Whoops, wrong map (that big snot-colored piece is "Arab Palestine," deducted from the "Jewish National Home" and given instead to form Jordan in 1922).
Here's the one I wanted, showing the Sinai (large pink), conceded by Israel to Egypt in 1979-82:
Many Israelis were opposed to the idea of giving up land for an uncertain peace. Over 3,000 settlers in the town of Yamit opposed withdrawal and violently resisted the evacuation of their homes.
Under Ariel Sharon’s command, the IDF forcefully evacuated settlers from Yamit. The images of Israeli civilians being dragged from their homes by Israeli soldiers resonates in the minds of many Israelis and an important symbol of how far Israel is willing to go for peace.
....withdrawing from Sinai, Israel gave up:
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The homes of over 7,000 Israelis
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The Alma Oil Field, valued at over $100 billion. Israel would have had energy independence had they held on to it.
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More than 170 military installations
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Dozens of early warning stations and strategic defense locations
Yamit was home to about 2,500 people ...
Michael Freund on the anniversary of the treaty:
Israel this week celebrated 30 years since the signing of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, holding a series of diplomatic receptions, public exhibitions and museum events to mark the occasion.
And just how did Egypt choose to commemorate the forging of peace with the Jewish state?
Well, they didn't.
As the Jerusalem Post reported yesterday, "In Egypt, on the other hand, not much fireworks or fanfare is planned. There is "nothing official that I know of" going on in Cairo to commemorate the March 26 anniversary, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. He said he did not know why."
Well, I'll be glad to tell you why: Egypt has long tried to keep Israel at arms length, treating the Jewish state coldly and never truly embracing the idea of a warm and friendly peace.
Whether it is undermining Israel at various international bodies, or allowing Hamas to smuggle weapons freely from Sinai into Gaza, the Egyptian regime of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak has never missed a chance for diplomatic or security mischief-making.
Nonetheless, that didn't seem to stop US President Barack Obama this week from citing the Israel-Egypt peace treaty as a source of inspiration in his efforts to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
What an unfortunate remark to make!! Instead of pressing the Egyptians (who receive $2 billion in foreign aid annually from the American taxpayer) to forge a true and lasting peace, and to play a positive and constructive role in the region, Obama has essentially let them off the hook.
But let Obama say what he wishes. Cairo's failure to mark the anniversary of the peace treaty this week speaks far more loudly and compellingly about the real nature of Egypt's intentions.
See also today's news that Arab terrorists have smuggled nearly 70 tons (that's 140,000 pounds) of explosives and bomb-making materials and other weapons into Gaza since Israel ended an offensive meant to choke off the arms flow.
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