Frustration and War: 1970–1973

Abstract

It has become conventional to assume that what later became known as ‘the peace process’ in the Middle East only developed seriously after the 1973 War. Then, President Sadat’s sudden strike across the Suez Canal and the ceasefire in a position of stalemate gave both Israel and Egypt an interest in a better post-war arrangement and the USA an opportunity to intervene productively to help arrange a more stable relationship between the two adversaries. Abba Eban, in his autobiography, even refers to the period from Sadat’s accession to power to 1973 as ‘the twilight years’ (Eban 1977, p.471).