On this day, 46 years ago, March 31, 1979 (March 4, 1979 in the lunar calendar), Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Agreement. Sadat, Carter and Begin spent a victorious moment in the White House. On March 31, 1979, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat successfully signed a peace treaty with Israel, writing a new chapter in history. He also alienated himself from the Arab world. Foreign ministers from 18 Arab countries gathered in Baghdad on the 31st and jointly agreed to cut off their diplomatic and economic relations with Egypt. Their agreement was also approved by the PLO. The agreement calls for the immediate recall of the ambassador to Egypt, a complete cut of diplomatic relations within a month, a halt to all economic aid, and economic sanctions against Egypt. Egypt receives US$1 billion in economic aid every year from other Arab countries, mainly from Saudi Arabia. Sadat said he recognized the danger when he signed a peace treaty with Israeli Prime Minister Begin at the White House on Monday. Sadat also recognized the historical importance of the treaty; he praised President Carter for his planning role in reaching agreement between the two sides. "It is no exaggeration to say that what he did is the greatest achievement of our time." Sadat said. Carter, who signed the treaty as circumstantial evidence, said it proved that "peace has arrived." Carter also said,"We have finally taken the first step towards peace, the first step on a long and difficult road." How long and difficult is this road? Prime Minister Begin's words answered this. He said: The agreement states that "there will be no more wars, no more bloodshed, no more sacrifices for loved ones." But Begin warned that he would oppose Sadat's possible demands that Israel withdraw control of eastern Jerusalem. The Israeli prime minister said passionately that such a day will come,"Then Jerusalem will become a city; our heroic soldiers, paratroopers tempered by bullets, will kiss with tears in their eyes the ancient walls destined to defend this land that shines with the light of God." The Egypt-Israeli peace agreement took months of negotiations at Camp David to reach; on the recent day when the text was finalized and signed, diplomats worked until after midnight, and the last obstacle was a timetable for Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai oil fields. Sadat and Begin agreed that the oil fields would be returned to Egypt seven months after the treaty was ratified.