CNN Reinvents History, Again: 1978 Camp David Accords

I’ve covered extensively the clash between CNN and facts before, so it should come as no surprise that their sorry excuse for a news organisation keeps inventing facts out of thin air. More specifically: reinventing history when it comes to factual, unbiased reports about Israel.

Regarding recent turmoil in Egypt, CNN has a story about the timeline of the 1978 Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt

The Details of the Camp David Accords:
Called for a formal peace treaty to be signed between Israel and Egypt, within three months.

Called for establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Called for Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula in stages, to be completed within three years.

Called for further meetings to resolve the Palestinian question. The meeting would include Jordan and a representative of the Palestinian people.

Called for a five-year transitional period of Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza. This transitional period would include the introduction of Palestinian self-government.

Called for an end to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Did not settle the question of East Jerusalem.

The part about the settlements and the transition is a bold-faced lie.

Camp David did deal with Judea and Samaria that were conquered from Jordan in 1967, along with the Gaza Strip and obviously the Sinai, but did not deal with Israeli settlements at all.

The following is the Framework of the Camp David Accords

The following matters are agreed between the parties:

  • The full exercise of Egyptian sovereignty up to the internationally recognized border between Egypt and mandated Palestine;
  • the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the Sinai;
  • the use of airfields left by the Israelis near al-Arish, Rafah, Ras en-Naqb, and Sharm el-Sheikh for civilian purposes only, including possible commercial use only by all nations;
  • the right of free passage by ships of Israel through the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal on the basis of the Constantinople Convention of 1888 applying to all nations; the Strait of Tiran and Gulf of Aqaba are international waterways to be open to all nations for unimpeded and nonsuspendable freedom of navigation and overflight;
  • the construction of a highway between the Sinai and Jordan near Eilat with guaranteed free and peaceful passage by Egypt and Jordan; [Interesting, but unrelated. J.D] and
  • the stationing of military forces listed below.

Further elaboration here:

MFO-SinaiTaking these factors into account, the parties are determined to reach a just, comprehensive, and durable settlement of the Middle East conflict through the conclusion of peace treaties based on Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 in all their parts. Their purpose is to achieve peace and good neighborly relations. They recognize that for peace to endure, it must involve all those who have been most deeply affected by the conflict. They therefore agree that this framework, as appropriate, is intended by them to constitute a basis for peace not only between Egypt and Israel, but also between Israel and each of its other neighbors which is prepared to negotiate peace with Israel on this basis. With that objective in mind, they have agreed to proceed as follows:

  • West Bank and Gaza Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the representatives of the Palestinian people should participate in negotiations on the resolution of the Palestinian problem in all its aspects. To achieve that objective, negotiations relating to the West Bank and Gaza should proceed in three stages:

    1. Egypt and Israel agree that, in order to ensure a peaceful and orderly transfer of authority, and taking into account the security concerns of all the parties, there should be transitional arrangements for the West Bank and Gaza for a period not exceeding five years. In order to provide full autonomy to the inhabitants, under these arrangements the Israeli military government and its civilian administration will be withdrawn as soon as a self-governing authority has been freely elected by the inhabitants of these areas to replace the existing military government. To negotiate the details of a transitional arrangement, Jordan will be invited to join the negotiations on the basis of this framework. These new arrangements should give due consideration both to the principle of self-government by the inhabitants of these territories and to the legitimate security concerns of the parties involved.
    2. Egypt, Israel, and Jordan will agree on the modalities for establishing elected self-governing authority in the West Bank and Gaza. The delegations of Egypt and Jordan may include Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza or other Palestinians as mutually agreed. The parties will negotiate an agreement which will define the powers and responsibilities of the self-governing authority to be exercised in the West Bank and Gaza. A withdrawal of Israeli armed forces will take place and there will be a redeployment of the remaining Israeli forces into specified security locations. The agreement will also include arrangements for assuring internal and external security and public order. A strong local police force will be established, which may include Jordanian citizens. In addition, Israeli and Jordanian forces will participate in joint patrols and in the manning of control posts to assure the security of the borders.
    3. When the self-governing authority (administrative council) in the West Bank and Gaza is established and inaugurated, the transitional period of five years will begin. As soon as possible, but not later than the third year after the beginning of the transitional period, negotiations will take place to determine the final status of the West Bank and Gaza and its relationship with its neighbors and to conclude a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan by the end of the transitional period. These negotiations will be conducted among Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the elected representatives of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza. Two separate but related committees will be convened, one committee, consisting of representatives of the four parties which will negotiate and agree on the final status of the West Bank and Gaza, and its relationship with its neighbors, and the second committee, consisting of representatives of Israel and representatives of Jordan to be joined by the elected representatives of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza, to negotiate the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, taking into account the agreement reached in the final status of the West Bank and Gaza. The negotiations shall be based on all the provisions and principles of UN Security Council Resolution 242. The negotiations will resolve, among other matters, the location of the boundaries and the nature of the security arrangements. The solution from the negotiations must also recognize the legitimate right of the Palestinian peoples and their just requirements. In this way, the Palestinians will participate in the determination of their own future through:

      1. The negotiations among Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the representatives of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza to agree on the final status of the West Bank and Gaza and other outstanding issues by the end of the transitional period.
      2. Submitting their agreements to a vote by the elected representatives of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza.
      3. Providing for the elected representatives of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza to decide how they shall govern themselves consistent with the provisions of their agreement.
      4. Participating as stated above in the work of the committee negotiating the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan.
      5. All necessary measures will be taken and provisions made to assure the security of Israel and its neighbors during the transitional period and beyond. To assist in providing such security, a strong local police force will be constituted by the self-governing authority. It will be composed of inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza. The police will maintain liaison on internal security matters with the designated Israeli, Jordanian, and Egyptian officers.
      6. During the transitional period, representatives of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the self-governing authority will constitute a continuing committee to decide by agreement on the modalities of admission of persons displaced from the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, together with necessary measures to prevent disruption and disorder. Other matters of common concern may also be dealt with by this committee.
      7. Egypt and Israel will work with each other and with other interested parties to establish agreed procedures for a prompt, just and permanent implementation of the resolution of the refugee problem.

CNN took a few great leaps of imagination with their interpretation:

  • The Israeli withdrawal will begin only after free elections are held in the Palestinian area and some sort of self governing body is formed.
  • The withdrawal of Israel will be of the military and civil rule, not the civilians (i.e. settlements)
  • Said withdrawal can also be into specified security locations, like checkpoints, army bases etc.
  • Nowhere is anything written about the settlements.
  • Obviously didn’t resolve Jerusalem, as it is clearly stated that this would be resolved pending further negotiations with Jordan and a Palestinian representative.
  • It seems like CNN is confusing the withdrawal of Israeli settlements in the Sinai, with Judea and Samaria.

Once again CNN put their bias in front of factual reporting, reinventing history when it suits them, and showing their complete lack of journalistic ethics.

1 thought on “CNN Reinvents History, Again: 1978 Camp David Accords”

  1. I tried to leave a comment on the CNN website – it’s not accepting comments. Please don’t cloud their facts with, er, the truth …

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top