Office of the Historian

47. Draft Framework for a Settlement in Sinai Prepared by President Carter1

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Framework for a Settlement in Sinai

In order to achieve peace between them, Israel and Egypt agree to negotiate in good faith with a goal of concluding within three months of the signing of this framework a peace treaty between them.

All of the principles of U.N. Resolution 242 will apply in this resolution of the dispute between Israel and Egypt.

PEACE TREATY

Unless otherwise mutually agreed, terms of this peace treaty will be implemented between two and three years after the peace treaty is signed.

In the peace treaty the issues of: a) the full exercise of Egyptian sovereignty up to the internationally recognized border between Egypt and mandated Palestine; b) the time of withdrawal of Israeli personnel from the Sinai; c) the use of airfields near El Arish,2 Eitam,3 Etzion,4 and [Page 190] Ofir5 for civilian purposes only; d) the right of free passage by ships of Israel and other nations through the Strait of Tiran, the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal; e) the construction of an international highway between the Sinai and Jordan near Eilat; and f) the stationing of military forces; steps listed below (will be resolved by negotiations between the parties.)

Stationing of forces

—Within an area lying approximately 50 kilometers (km) east of the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal, no more than one division of Egyptian mechanized or infantry armed forces will be stationed.

—Only United Nations forces and civil police equipped with light weapons to perform normal police functions will be stationed lying west of6 the international border and the Gulf of Aqaba, varying in width from 20 km to 40 km, and east of the same border approximately 5 km in width.

—in the area not included above, border patrol units, not to exceed three battalions, will supplement the civil police in maintaining order.

The exact demarcation of the above areas will be as mutually agreed during the peace negotiations.

Early warning stations may exist as mutually agreed to insure compliance with the terms of the agreement.

United Nations forces will be stationed in the Sharm el Sheikh area to insure freedom of passage through the Straits of Tiran, and will be removed only if such agreement is approved by the Security Council of the United Nations.

Normal relations will be established between Egypt and Israel, including: full recognition; termination of economic boycotts; and mutual protection of citizens by the due process of law.

INTERIM WITHDRAWAL

Between three months and nine months after the signing of the peace treaty, all Israeli forces will withdraw east of a line extending from a point east of El Arish to Ras Muhammad, the exact location of this line to be determined by mutual agreement.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 53, Middle East: Camp David President’s Working Papers, undated. No classification marking.↩
  2. In brackets above this word, Carter wrote “El Arish.”↩
  3. In brackets above this word, Carter wrote “Rafah.”↩
  4. In brackets above this word, Carter wrote “Ras en Naqb.”↩
  5. In brackets above this word, Carter wrote “Sharm al Sheikh.”↩
  6. The remainder of this phrase was inserted from an attached typed page.↩