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War and Conflict

The Middle East

What was Camp David II?

In July 2000 President Bill Clinton (1946-) invited Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders to the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, to hammer out a final peace agreement in the Middle East. In what could have been the major breakthrough in the conflict, Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak (1942-) agreed to a Palestinian state, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the administration of all Jerusalem holy sites by a third party (i.e. neither Israel nor Palestine). In exchange, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (1929–2004) was asked to sign an “end of conflict” addendum to the final agreement, which would have required him to bring the militant Arab group Hamas under control and end all Palestinian attacks on Israelis. But Arafat refused the deal. The July 11–25 meeting ended without an agreement. Violence erupted again in Israel, beginning the Second Intifada.