On November 13th, Tzili Charney was an honorary guest at the occasion of the centennial of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's birth and the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Camp David Accords, the Anwar Sadat Congressional Gold Medal Commission celebrates his recognition by the US Congress with a Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to promote peace and reconciliation. The event took place at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington DC.
Of his many achievements, President Sadat is most widely recognized for making peace with Israel. On November 19, 1977, in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur war, he became the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel. In his address to the Knesset, he proposed ending 30 years of hate and animosity between his country and the State of Israel through establishing a mutually beneficial peace treaty. This action ended up laying the foundation for the first round of serious and direct negotiations between the two countries. During this time, President Sadat cultivated a strong working relationship with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger throughout months of shuttle diplomacy. Secretary Kissinger later remarked, "He [Sadat] possessed that combination of insight and courage which marks a great statesman."
As a result, on September 17, 1978, President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords, the first step towards the 1979 signing of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin were awarded the Nobel Prize for their efforts in 1978.
Anwar Sadat was one of the greatest visionaries the world has ever seen, a champion of peace and a pioneer of diplomacy. He devoted - and lost - his life to combat, hatred and intolerance, sending a message to the world that peace can prevail.
Today, it is more important than ever to remember these virtues of goodwill and peace as Israel seeks to establish peace and security in the Middle East. As President Sadat said on his visit to Israel in 1977, "There are moments in the life of nations and peoples when it is incumbent on those known for their wisdom and clarity of vision to overlook the past, with all its complexities and weighing memories, in a bold drive toward new horizons."
