Essay --

Anwar el-Sadat tried to change the Arab world by making peace with his adversaries, the Israelis. Born in the poor peasant village of Mit Abdul-Kum, Anwar el-Sadat grew up appreciating the rare opportunities he was given. From an early age, Sadat was exposed to the difference between the rich and the poor peasants like him. After graduating from the University of London, Sadat ultimately failed in his acting career, so he joined the army. As a young boy, he was very nationalistic, believing in the strong history of the Egyptian people. He despised the fact that the British, and not the Egyptians were ruling Egypt. Feeling frustrated with this fact, Sadat created a revolutionary organization with fellow soldiers in his unit. One of these soldiers, Abdel Nasser, is credited with forming the Free Officer’s association, but Sadat played an integral role in laying the groundwork for the revolutionary organization. Despite the fact that Islamic Fundamentalists view Anwar el-Sadat as a traitor, he was a brave and successful revolutionary in his peace negotiations with Israel, resulting in the historic Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. During the summer of 1941, Sadat and his military troops planned to takeover the government and exile the British. His military troops arranged to meet at the Mena House Hotel, but to Sadat’s disappointment, his unit was the only one to show up, leaving his first attempt at expelling the British unsuccessful. The fact that his first revolutionary attempt was ultimately a failure benefited Sadat in the long run because he never alerted the authorities of his anti-British behavior. Aware of Sadat’s attempt at a revolution, he was recruited by the Free Officers to help al-Masri fly to Iraq. Sadat was successful in ... ...ife for the cause of peace with Israel, Sadat dared to do the impossible and succeeded. Since the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty was signed in 1978, there have been no wars between Egypt and Israel. From the beginning of his presidency in 1970 to the end of his presidency in 1981 Sadat always had peace on his mind. Throughout his life Sadat participated in the British expulsion from Egypt, the regaining of land lost in the War of 1967, Soviet expulsion from Egypt, becoming the first Arab leader to ask and receive help from the United States, the first Arab leader to travel to Israel and address the Knesset, and the first Arab leader willing to and successfully make peace with Israel. Breaking down a psychological barrier, with the assistance of President Carter and Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat accomplished his revolutionary idea of Egyptian-Israeli peace.