Menachem Begin
- He was a politician, the founder of Likud, a center-right political party in Israel, and the sixth prime minister of the State of Israel.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Begin This website includes more information about Menachem Begin. It has facts about his biography, political career, role as the prime minister of Israel, and published work.
Yasir Arafat
- He was the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The groups stated goal was the destruction of Israel, which the PLO claimed had no right to exist on the land they called Palestine.
- For years, the PLO waged guerrilla warfare against Israelis at home and abroad. Bombings, airplane hijackings, and the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games brought PLO demands to the attention of the world. At the same time, though, such attacks stiffened Israel’s resolve not to negotiate with the PLO.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Arafat
Anwar Sadat
- He was the new President of Egypt after Gamal Abdel Nasser’s death. He took steps to open Egypt to foreign investment and private business. In foreign affairs, Sadat moved away from the Soviet camp and closer to the United States.
- In 1979, he became the first Arab leader to make peace with Israel. Although that move angered other Arab states, Sadat promised Egyptians that peace would have economic benefits. It did bring American aid but did not improve life for most Egyptians.
- http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/begin-bio.html This website contains information about the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize given to both Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin. It has the summary and presentation speech of the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize, the biography and Nobel lecture Anwar Sadat, and the biography and Nobel lecture of Menachem Begin.