Institute for Palestine Studies University of California Press The Reaction in Israel to the Sadat Initiative Author(s): Elias Shoufani Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Winter, 1978), pp. 3-25 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2536436 Accessed: 05-10-2015 19:59 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Institute for Palestine Studies and University of California Press are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Palestine Studies. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 96.91.243.195 on Mon, 05 Oct 2015 19:59:41 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Reaction in Israel to the Sadat Initiative ELIAS SHOUFANI* i thelast three weeks of November1977, the Israeli politicians and public were completelypreoccupied with the visit of PresidentAnwar Sadat to Jerusalemand the subsequentdevelopments which led to the conveningof theCairo Conference. The Israelipress, whose headlines in thefirst days of the monthhad been devotedto the internaldiscontent and striferesulting from thedrastic economic measures of MenahemBegin's right-winggovernment, now concerneditself almost entirely with the Middle East conflict.Political interestand commentariesstarted with some doubts as to whetherthe visit would takeplace at all, reacheda peak duringSadat's visitto Jerusalem,and thensubsided somewhat until the announcementof the forthcomingCairo Conferencerevived hopes of a peace settlementthat would satisfyIsrael's minimumterms.