Middle East 667
States held talks with Egypt’s President Sadat and President Ford said that the Ameri-
can objective in Sinai was an Israeli withdrawal and return to the 1967 border. A few
days later the United States and Israel held talks on a peace deal in the Middle East.
MID#3383
Dispute Number: 3383
Date(s): July 3, 1979
Participants: 666 Israel/651 Egypt
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Egypt complained that an Israeli Phantom airplane crossed the border in
northern Sinai and flew near Al-Arish. Israel did not deny the border violation.
Coding changes: Outcome changed from Compromise. Settlement changed from
Negotiated. Fatalities changed from None.
MID#3384
Dispute Number: 3384
Date(s): January 20, 1983 to July 5, 1985
Participants: 651 Egypt/666 Israel
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side A (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Israel and Egypt made an accord in April 1982 in which they agreed to
pull back troops to the border and wait for talks before finalizing a border and resolv-
ing the issue of Taba, a small town in the Sinai. The disputed areas of the Sinai were
formed into neutral zones with fences on either side bounding the undisputed areas
of Israel and Egypt. This compromise was broken on January 20 when two Egyptian
tractors, guarded by armed policemen, crossed the fence into the neutral zone. Israel
charged that it was a violation of the April 1982 accord and that Egypt sent the tractors
across. After discussions between the Egyptian and Israeli officers on the scene, one
tractor withdrew. A statement from the Egyptian government stated that the crossing
into the neutral zone was an “unintended error.” Israel’s representative to the joint
military liaison committee stated that the fence had not been tended well, and that the
crossing of the border seemed to have been an accident while construction crews were
preparing for the construction of huts in the zone that followed the construction of an
Israeli hotel in the zone. After some other negotiations, the second tractor withdrew,
ending this confrontation. However, Taba continued to be a source of contention
throughout the early half of 1983. Egypt claimed ancient ties to the area, but Israelis
were having a great deal of economic success living and working in that town.
In June, Egypt protested Israeli occupation of several border posts. Then, in August,
Israeli police moved into the neutral zone at Taba claiming that they should maintain
law and order in the town rather than the multinational force that simply observed
since the tourist activities were Israeli-owned. The Egyptians then crossed the border
as well. The issue of Taba continued to remain at a stalemate even though talks were