1977 Year in Review

Edwin Smith: On Saturday night the 19th of November, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to set foot in the Israel capital of Jerusalem. A recap after this.

Edwin Smith: To the strains of an Israeli military band played the hastily learned notes of the Egyptian national anthem, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat stepped off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport, the first Arab leader to set foot in Israel. In his speech to the Israeli Knesset, Sadat demanded again that Israel withdraw from all the occupied territories and agree to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. And Sadat made it clear that the next concession should come from the Israeli side …

President Anwar Sadat: "Let us hope that we can keep the momentum in Geneva, and may God guide the steps of Premier Begin and Knesset, because there is a great need for hard and drastic decision."

Edwin Smith: At the year's end, delegates from Israel, the United States and Egypt gathered in Cairo for a fresh round of talks. For Sadat, it was the next step of his great gamble. If he succeed, he would be hailed as the greatest Arab statesman of his day; if he failed, there would be a new war, but Sadat would probably not be around to lead it.

Edwin Smith for Recap '77.