BBC NEWS: WHAT RESIDENTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST THINK OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SADAT AND ISRAEL 30 YEARS LATER

In an interesting exercise, BBC News asked residents in the Middle East to reflect on the peace treaty signed between Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin of Israel in 1979. 

The peace treaty with Israel was probably the best thing Sadat did for Egypt. We had already fought in three wars, our resources were being drained and morale was low. 

The treaty meant we could regain our land and improve our relationship with the US and it was in the best interests of our country at the time.

So, I view it very positively. I have a lot of friends who are Lebanese or Palestinian who see it differently. Some feel that Egypt was a traitor and that we let them down.

They feel bitter, and I understand where they’re coming from. But I don’t think it’s accurate to say that most Egyptians are regretting the treaty now.

I think it is more like a truce than a real peace. People still perceive Israel as the enemy – I perceive Israel as a threat.

Our bad memories are very recent. There are a lot of people with relatives who died in the war, or who are still missing. It is a cold peace and we’re not friends.

I have always wondered if I would ever visit the Holy Land in my lifetime. But from a moral point of view, I refuse to go there because of the Palestinian situation.

I’m kind of neutral with our conduct during the Gaza conflict. The government kept the border closed because it was in the best interests of Egypt, not because it wanted to ambush the Palestinians.

I do sympathise with Palestine and Lebanon and all the countries that have issues with Israel. But I put Egypt first.

–MIRIAM AMIR, 28, Cairo

Ofra lived in the Israeli settlement of Yamit in the Sinai, aged 10 to 16. She and her family were forced to leave in 1982, when the settlement was evacuated as part of the 1979 peace deal.

For us it was like heaven. The first things we saw were sand, beach and palm trees.

We were very optimistic about the future. We definitely thought of it as part of Israel – the government planned to build a port city there.

When we were evacuated, it was very, very sad. My sister and I went to live in Kfar Saba. We finished our high school there. We were forced to move without our family.

My mother and father were among the last to leave. The soldiers packed up the house, because my mother and father couldn’t do it, it was too hard emotionally. But we didn’t use any violence.

My father believed until the last minute that something would change. He was very ideological about living there. [Leaving] was a disaster for him and it hurt him very much.

I think the peace deal is a huge benefit for us [Israel] and for them [the Egyptians] – if it stops soldiers dying, in a place where people die for land. Even though it’s not peace like Switzerland and Italy have, it’s still peace.

But personally, I think I just lost from it. It wasn’t worth the sacrifice and the suffering of our family, it’s a very heavy price to pay.

–OFRA ABRAMOVICH, 43, Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv

I think the peace deal was a good decision. It’s one of the quietest borders we have – although it’s not a great peace.

It’s a bit unnerving to go there, and many Israelis say they wouldn’t go even it was safe.

My wife and I had always wanted to travel to Egypt – it’s the birthplace of all civilisation. It was only a question of getting the courage to do it – and the courage to tell our parents we were going.

We have peace but it’s not the friendliest country. We were nervous getting into a cab to Cairo, although we had been to the Sinai before.

At the hotels we had to say we were Israeli because they want to see your passport. It seemed like they couldn’t care less – you’re a tourist and that means money. However, we told people on the street we were Canadians.

We enjoyed the trip tremendously. I think Aswan, the things around it… Abu Simbel and the ancient Egyptian temples, were my favourite places.

I think it’s more dangerous for Israelis to go to Sinai than to the rest of Egypt. Almost everyone in Sinai speaks Hebrew to some degree and they can spot an Israeli a mile away.

If any terror organisation wants to target Israelis, they will go to Sinai, not Cairo or Luxor.

–GUY ROSENZWEIG, 31, Rehovot