The first head of an Arab nation to make peace with Israel was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. In 1978, Sadat signed the historic Camp David Accords with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, with the help of US President Jimmy Carter, leading to a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1979.

The decision to make peace with Israel was a controversial one in the Arab world, as many saw it as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause. However, Sadat believed that it was in Egypt's best interest to end the cycle of conflict and establish diplomatic relations with its neighbor. The peace treaty with Israel paved the way for the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian control, which had been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War in 1967.

Sadat's bold move earned him both praise and criticism, with some hailing him as a visionary peacemaker and others condemning him as a traitor. Unfortunately, Sadat paid the ultimate price for his efforts for peace, as he was assassinated by Islamic extremists in 1981.

Despite the challenges and risks involved, the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel has endured for over four decades, serving as a model for other Arab nations seeking to normalize relations with the Jewish state. The treaty has also had a positive impact on regional stability and cooperation, particularly in the areas of security and economic development.

In recent years, other Arab nations have followed in Sadat's footsteps and made peace with Israel, including Jordan in 1994 and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020. These diplomatic breakthroughs have been facilitated by a shifting regional dynamics and a shared recognition of the benefits of cooperation and normalization.

To learn more about the historic peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, you can visit the following links:

- History.com - Egypt and Israel sign peace treaty - Britannica - Camp David Accords

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