Anwar Sadat’s Conflict Resolution Techniques for Business

As Geneva Middle East peace talks stalled, Sadat announced his readiness to travel directly to Jerusalem and present Egypt’s interests directly to Israel’s parliament. This chapter draws upon insights from three professors familiar with Egyptian politics in order to explore Sadat’s approach for resolving conflicts.

Conciliatory overtures require the cooperation of multiple people over an extended period, as well as their adversary’s willingness to adopt different images about a leader (Stein 1991).

1. Conciliatory Overtures

On November 19, 1977, the world witnessed with amazement as Egypt’s President Anwar el-Sadat made his historic trip to Jerusalem and met with Israeli leaders for negotiations that promised “no more war” and de facto recognition of Israel as a means towards reconciliation. Although his visit was controversial at first, its results have since become widely celebrated as major achievements toward Middle East peace – yet ultimately doomed Israel, Egypt, and much of the entire region to years of bitter conflict.

Lessons from the Arab-Israeli peace process can serve as a model for anyone working to resolve business conflicts through mediation. International relations often make negotiations seem unattainable; finding ways to reframe issues so both sides can see potential tradeoffs or signs of cooperation is key to creating agreements and finding common ground.

Harold “Hal” Saunders was an integral member of our Carter School community during the Camp David talks and played an instrumental role in mediating Egyptian-Israeli negotiations between Sadat and Menachem Begin. The papers left by Harold to our school document his key role in one of the most historic peace processes of this century.

Sadat and Begin came into the Camp David negotiations from very distinct bargaining positions, determined by their respective systems of government. Israel possessed immense military and economic might with near monopoly control of all territories it occupied; on the other hand, Egypt held much less leverage against Israelis; nonetheless there were oil-rich Middle Eastern nations that could offer financial support that might assist Egypt during this critical period.

As both countries were beginning from scratch in their bargaining processes, initial overtures from Sadat at negotiations could often be risky; nonetheless, their results were remarkable: leading to the Camp David Accords and later to a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1979. Unfortunately, however, Sadat’s success would prove short-lived as Egypt’s political process stagnated until his assassination by members of a radical Muslim Brotherhood faction during an anniversary parade marking 1973 war anniversary was eventually plotted and carried out against him during military parade marking anniversary event of war anniversary event on July 4th 2011.

2. Creating an Environment for Success

Sadat’s words underscore that peace and conflict resolution require courage and conviction. All individuals must appreciate that peaceful coexistence should be an aspiration that transcends national borders and promotes mutual respect among nations.

As a member of the Free Officers Movement – an organization of military officers seeking reform of Egypt’s ruling monarchy – Sadat was deeply shaped by social and religious influences that instilled him with Egyptian nationalism as well as faith in nonviolent means to effect change. These values would prove invaluable during his subsequent political career: after partial victory in October 1973 war, Sadat made bold moves toward peacemaking with Israel: visiting and speaking at Israeli Knesset sessions while breaking Arab boycott against Jewish state thus leading to Camp David Accords as well as signing peace treaty signed between Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin that year.

Sadat stressed the significance of “setting priorities, including foreign and domestic policies that bring both sides closer together.” His message underscored the fact that in order for peaceful negotiations to succeed, all parties involved must work towards building trust among themselves and developing genuine understanding for one another’s positions.

Sadat believed Egypt should prioritize domestic reconciliation and unity as an essential prerequisite to successful collaboration with other nations; however, as evidenced by the bread riots of 1977, his domestic popularity had diminished by late 1975. As his political power declined in the Arab world, and as Islamic extremism rose, his internal reform efforts were disrupted by Islamic Jihad members who assassinated him during a military parade to commemorate the 1973 war. Sadat’s harsh political crackdown further alienated his people and contributed to radical Islamist groups’ growth. Sadat’s legacy is an effective reminder that any society’s success or failure depends on whether its leaders inspire greatness in all of its citizens.

3. Making a Commitment

Sadat saw himself as a nationalist who was dedicated to his country and believed in using his power for economic development and social transformation. He knew the international stage provided an avenue for him to deliver on these promises, yet also recognized that it required hard work in order to gain the privilege of speaking on it.

Sadat addressed Egypt’s political stability during his 1971 speech announcing his new cabinet, outlining two areas in which its challenges lay: economic development and social transformation. He expressed his trust in Egyptian citizens as they worked towards “enlightened citizens with advanced skills for national welfare”.

On the economic front, Sadat touted the success of nationalized industries and semi-private businesses as well as his belief in foreign investment. Additionally, he voiced his concern for Lebanon due to Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

At the same time, he called for an Arab front against Israel and set forth his goals of reclaiming occupied land, strengthening relations with Soviet Russia and other Arab states, and ultimately signing a peace treaty with the US.

Sadat achieved his goals at great expense to himself and to the Egyptian nation; these sacrifices advanced international recognition for Egypt but at great personal and bargaining cost when dealing with negotiations with the United States. Egypt’s ambassador to the US, Ahmed Maher el-Sayed, stated that his speech at the 1974 Cairo Summit on Lebanon implied his recognition of Israel prior to negotiations taking place and reduced Egypt’s bargaining power. Sadat was nonetheless willing to compromise his nationalistic ambitions for an opportunity to sign a peace treaty with the United States, and this presentation illustrates his calculated approach in positioning himself on the world stage and emphasizing the necessity of reconciling individual interests with those of others for lasting peace and prosperity.

4. Changing Enemy Images

Conflict leads people to form stereotypes of each other’s intentions and character that can hinder effective communication; the more entrenched these stereotypes are, the harder it will be to resolve it. Enemy images may also be affected by individual biases within groups. Finally, groups often seek information that confirms existing stereotypes while disregarding or discounting information that contradicts them, leading them to remain resistant to change.

Leaders face the difficult challenge of shifting enemy perceptions, which takes both skill and courage. Stein offers two methods for accomplishing this feat: (1) By making an irrevocable commitment that both parties must honor – Sadat did this when visiting Israel in 1977 – an essential first step on his journey toward securing Camp David Accords and peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

One approach is to deliberately change a group’s image by altering their understanding of one side or the other. This method requires exceptional leadership skills and complete freedom from domestic political constraints; Sadat accomplished this task after the Six-Day War by offering Israel peace treaty terms in exchange for returning their captured Sinai lands and then taking back them again later that year in October 1973 during Yom Kippur War.

Sadat’s bold moves created internal strain in Egypt. A weak economy, high inflation, and widening inequality caused food riots and strikes; Sadat responded by taking increasingly risky gambles – including negotiating loans to boost the economy, and passing laws restricting protests.

Sadat also stressed the benefits of peace, emphasizing its lasting importance beyond the borders of any specific piece of land and in his final speech before his assassination, Sadat emphasized its true worth by telling his audience “Peace is much more precious than land”. His message continues to echo across both Middle Eastern and global societies today.