Ambassador
James B. Cunningham

Biography

Speeches

Remarks by Ambassador James B. Cunningham
at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace on the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
March 25, 2009

Ambassador James B. Cunningham at the Harry S. Truman Institute -- Photo Gallery

Thank you for that welcome Dr. Kaplan, Minister Whbee, Ambassadors Reda and Cohen, and guests. Thank you for asking me to join you here at It at the Truman Institute to mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. That ceremony on the White House lawn is one of the seminal moments I’m sure that each of us remembers. I was in Washington at the time, a young Foreign Service Officer on my second assignment. I remember well the sense that history truly was being made that day.

I’m sure you saw the photographs out in the hallway there, and I was struck in looking at them by some of the candid shots about the relaxed and even jovial atmosphere captured in those pictures. We all know though, and some of our guests were at Camp David, that in that peace process there were also moments of great tension, frustration and delicate negotiation. It is a tribute to the key participants, to their vision, and their commitment to a better future for their peoples, that we celebrate this treaty today.

President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin were strong leaders who were bold enough, commited enough to make sacrifices in order to achieve peace. Both of them recognized the human tragedy of war and opted to make the strategic choice for peace. Both overcame pressure from key segments of their societies that were opposed to the provisions they were negotiating. And both proved to be true statesmen and visionaries.

The Treaty that they forged – and very importantly, implemented -- is a pillar of regional stability. The peace treaty, concluded through the determined efforts of President Jimmy Carter and his team, is also a significant achievement of American diplomacy, and I’m glad to mark that also today. The trilateral relationship that resulted from the Treaty, with its provisions of financial and strategic support, has been a critical component of American efforts to build our strong relationship with Egypt, and to promote peace between Israel and its neighbors.

There was certainly nothing inevitable about arriving at peace between Egypt and Israel. Following the 1967 and 1973 wars, sporadic violence continued, but Egypt and Israel, aided by the United States, negotiated with each other, and between the 1973 war and Camp David, four agreements were signed between Israel and Egypt. But it was, of course, President Sadat’s historic trip to Jerusalem in November, 1977 which broke the psychological barrier on both sides, making the search for a peace agreement possible. President Sadat’s trip was a transforming experience, signaling for the first time the acceptance of the fact of Israel’s existence, and thus of the possibility of peace.

When President Sadat’s landed in Lod airport, he greeted each Israeli leader with words of recognition, almost familiarity. To Arik Sharon, he is said to have remarked: “I almost caught you at the Canal.” Sharon fired back that now Egypt had an opportunity to do so as friends. Sadat understood that forging human connections is essential to peacemaking. His humanity, not his country’s military might, was what was on display that day. His manifest personal commitment to peace, and the strategic recognition, shared by Prime Minister Begin, that a peace between the countries was in both their national interests, eventually paved the way to joining President Carter at Camp David in September 1978.

The thirteen intensive and dramatic days at Camp David led to two framework agreements, one on peace in the region and the other, the “Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel” prepared the way for the event we commemorate today.

We mark the occasion because the Treaty literally changed the face of the Middle East, led to direct diplomatic relations between Israel and Egypt, and committed the United States to new levels of financial and strategic support to both countries – support that continues to this day. Egypt’s bold choice unquestionably presented a precedent for negotiation with Israel and a move from confrontation, setting the stage for the 1993 Declaration of Principles between Israel and the PLO and the 1994 Jordanian-Israel peace treaty.

It is useful to recall, however, how difficult it was to get from Camp David to the Treaty itself. The agreements reached there were hugely controversial in both Israel and Egypt, and roundly denounced in the Arab world. Sadat and Begin were both strongly criticized and labeled as “traitors” by some. Begin at one point said to his cabinet “there is much pain in this…But if there is a serious attempt to reach peace, we should make painful decisions.” Both leaders found the discussions on implementation of the Camp David frameworks extremely difficult as they came under political attack, and there was much backsliding as the months passed.

The flight of the Shah from Iran in January 1979 may have had a galvanizing effect on the efforts to close on a peace agreement. It became clearer that with American elections coming later that year and with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran, the peace process might well be de-railed if not rapidly brought to conclusion.

After thirty years, the Treaty remains firmly in place. It has not led to resolution of all the issues between Israel and Egypt, but it has enabled both countries to develop in greater security.

And, of course, the Treaty has not led to resolution of the broader Middle East conflict. Peace between Israel and its neighbors, and the pursuit of genuine stability and security for all in this region, have since Camp David remained a central pre-occupation of successive U.S. administrations and That will remain the case with President Obama.

The President made clear from literally day one of his administration that a lasting peace in the Middle East represents an important, long-term American strategic interest. The United States remains committed to the two-state solution, which we see as instrumental to ending this conflict.

America’s commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and between Israel and its other neighbors, is firm and enduring. As we meet here today, we face serious challenges to peace and security in the Middle East, challenges which have evolved over the past 30 years of peace that we commemorate now. Islamic extremism and the role of Iran clearly threaten that peace, and undermine the vision of regional stability which animates my country’s commitment to peace and which is reflected in the Arab Peace Initiative.

Most immediately, all who seek peace must deal with the challenge posed by Hamas in Gaza. We saw in 1979 the importance of genuine commitment to peace if lasting agreements are to be reached and implemented. The Quartet principles -- recognition of Israel, renouncing violence, and abiding by past agreements – are the way ahead to peace.

And so, as we look forward to the next couple of hours of discussion, and we mark three decades of Egyptian-Israeli peace, and we should also acknowledge the enormity of the achievement and the vision and effort required to get there.

Thank you very much.