In September 1978, William Quandt, a member of the White House National Security
Council staff, spent thirteen momentous days at Camp David, the presidential
retreat in Maryland, where three world leaders were holding secret negotiations.
When U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli
Prime Minister Menachem Begin emerged on September 17, they announced a
monumental accomplishment: the first peace agreement between Israel and one of
its Arab neighbors.
Praised by some for laying the foundations for peace between Egypt and Israel,
the Camp David Accords have also been criticized for failing to achieve a
comprehensive settlement, including a resolution of the Palestinian question.
But supporters and