The Camp David Accords set a template for third-party mediation in West Asia. Assess its relevance to contemporary normalisation frameworks and India's interests in the region.

In September 1978 the US mediated the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. They were based on UNSC Resolutions 242 and 338 [1], and the UN later called Carter a "peacemaker" [3]. The template is still relevant for bilateral normalisation, but it remains incomplete on the Palestinian question.

The Camp David template: strengths and limits

• Third-party guarantor: US incentives produced the 1979 Egypt–Israel treaty, and that peace has lasted for decades.
• Bilateral peace first: it used land-for-peace, with Sinai returned to Egypt in exchange for recognition of Israel.
• Limit: the planned five-year Palestinian self-government [1] never came about.
• Regional cost: Arab states moved to cut ties with Egypt and shift the Arab League headquarters out of Cairo [2].

Relevance to contemporary normalisation frameworks

• Abraham Accords (2020): these repeat the US-brokered bilateral model. I2U2 leaders formally endorsed them and "other normalisation arrangements" [4].
• Economics-for-peace: investment and connectivity have now taken the place of territory as the main incentive.
• Changed region: Gulf states that normalise ties are not isolated today, unlike Egypt in 1979.
• Same blind spot: the frameworks still go around the Palestinian issue. The Gaza war since 2023 shows how fragile they are.

India's interests

• Connectivity: IMEC was announced at the New Delhi G20 (2023). It links India to the Gulf and Europe [6].
• Minilateralism: I2U2 covers six areas, including water, energy, food security and space [5]. The UAE has committed $2 billion to food parks in India [4].
• Energy and diaspora: Gulf stability protects India's oil imports, remittances and the large Indian community in the region.
• Strategic balance: India has ties with Israel and the Arab states at the same time and supports a two-state solution. Normalisation that ignores Palestine could put this balance under strain.
• Risk: escalating conflict can stall IMEC and I2U2 projects.

Assessment: Camp David is still the model for making peace between two states, but it is not a full settlement of the conflict.

Overall, the Camp David template explains how today's normalisation works and where it is weak. India should support inclusive mediation that combines economic corridors with a fair Palestinian settlement. That would meet the SDG 16 goal of peaceful societies and serve India's interests in the region.