section referred to as the Peace Treaty ) at the White House on March 26, 1979. Addressing President Sadat at the signing of the Peace Treaty, which remains an important anchor for peace in the region today, Prime Minister Begin commended President Sadat by saying, In the face of adversity and hostility, you have demonstrated the human value that can change history—civil courage . (14) The Peace Treaty featured mutual recognition of each country by the other and ultimately the cessation of the state of war that had existed between Israel and Egypt since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel completely withdrew its armed forces and civilians from the rest of the Sinai. (15) In 1978, both President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for signing the Peace Treaty, which made Egypt the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel. (16) While presenting the Nobel Peace Prize to President Sadat, Aase Lionaes, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said, During the 30 preceding years, the peoples of the Middle East have, on 4 separate occasions, been the victims of warfare and there seemed no prospect of peace. President Sadat’s great contribution to peace was that he had sufficient courage and foresight to break away from this vicious circle. His decision to accept Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s invitation of November 17, 1977, to attend a meeting of the Israeli parliament on November 19 was an act of great courage, both from a personal and from a political point of view. This was a dramatic break with the past and a courageous step forward into a new age . (17) During his Nobel lecture, President Sadat remarked, I made my trip because I am convinced that we owe it to this generation and the generations to come not to leave a stone unturned in our pursuit of peace . (18) In remarks to the People’s Assembly in Cairo on March 10, 1979, President Carter praised President Sadat, telling the Assembly, Your President has demonstrated the power of human courage and human vision to create