The Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu seems to have played an important role in the negotiations between Israel and Egypt in 1977, according to recently declassified Israeli documents, quoted by the newspaper Haaretz.

The Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu told Menachem Begin, the Israeli Prime Minister in 1977 that the Egypt president Anwar El Sadat was ready for a meeting, the Israeli PM said during a Government meeting in 1977. The transcript of that meeting was recently declassified.

Israel's state archives uncovered 40 documents which mentioned the events in 1977, when representatives of the two countries met, before signing the peace agreement in 1979, which is still standing.

The Israeli PM had visited Romania in August 1977, when Romania was the only communist country with which Israel had kept international relations open. At the time, Romania also had good connections with the Arab world, and Israel was trying to keep diplomatic channels to Egypt open, with Romania's help.

The Romanian communist leader also proposed that Israel recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for Freeing Palestine and negotiate with its leadership. “Ceausescu said we should recognize the organization and negotiate with Yasser Arafat. Arafat is a good man, Ceausescu talked to him, there are much worse people in the organization. Arafat is ready to recognize the state of Israel,” the Israeli PM explained to Israel's ministers in 1977. Israel only took Ceausescu's advice about the meeting with Egypt, choosing to ignore the suggestion to talk to Yasser Arafat.

Romania was not the only country which helped Israel and Egypt re-connect. Morocco had a similar influence in organizing an Israeli – Egyptian reunion.

Nicolae Ceausescu was at the helm of communist Romania from 1967 to 1989, when he was sentenced to death by firing squad, following a mass protest – the Romanian revolution.

The article in Haaretz.

editor@romania-insider.com