ISRAELI COMPLETES PULLOUT, LEAVING SINAI TO EGYPT (Published 1982)
- ️Mon Apr 26 1982
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- April 26, 1982
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In a somber mood, Israel withdrew the last of its soldiers from the Sinai peninsula today, leaving the desert wilderness to Egypt as provided by the first treaty of peace between Israel and an Arab country.
Defense Minister Ariel Sharon pledged that it would be Israel's final territorial concession for peace, and he promised a new drive to expand Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The turnover of the 7,500 square miles of territory, representing the last third of the peninsula under Israeli control, was accomplished without fanfare, as a reflection of Israel's sadness and disquiet.
There were no joint Israeli-Egyptian ceremonies. Shortly after dawn, a single Israeli flag, bearing a blue Star of David against a white field, was lowered at Sharm el Sheik, the southern outpost that commands the strategic approach to the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba.
National Anthem Is Sung
The troops wept and sang ''Hatikva,'' Israel's national anthem, ''The Hope.'' Then they boarded trucks and buses for the journey north. Two formations of Kfir jet fighters made a final sweep low over the rugged coastline, and were gone.
Several hours later, the Egyptians raised their flag at Sharm el Sheik and at Rafa, on the Mediterranean coast, near the chain-link fence that marks the new international border and divides the city. Egyptian runners brought torches lit in Cairo. A band played, colorful carpets were set out, and there were piles of flowers.