October 29, 1973
At the end of the October 1973 war, after several miscommunications, the first Egyptian-Israeli military talks between generals takes place at 1 a.m. in Israeli-controlled territory 101 kilometers (63 miles) from Cairo. On a cold evening at a wooden table under a camouflage canopy strung out over several tanks, Egyptian Gen. Mohamed Abdel Ghani el-Gamasy and Israeli Gen. Aharon Yariv enter talks that eventually detail disengagement between the armies, arrange for the exchange of prisoners of war, and provide food and supply to the IDF-surrounded Egyptians.
Talks continue for more than three weeks and go beyond military matters into political discussions. The contents of the meetings are carefully choreographed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Cairo and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in Jerusalem without the direct involvement of the Americans. The first set of talks ends around 4 a.m.
The United Nations, which arranged for the talks, plays no role in mediating the negotiations, other than facilitating their implementation. Details of the direct military talks are shared with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger through Meir during her visit to Washington in early November and by Sadat through his foreign minister.
Both generals say the talks are professional and businesslike, and Yariv and el-Gamasy develop a distinct fondness for each other.
