Extremists assassinate Anwar Sadat in Cairo

Muslim extremists assassinate Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat at a military rally in Cairo. In an unprecedented move for an Arab leader, Egyptian Sadat travelled to Jerusalem in 1977 to seek a permanent peace settlement with the State of Israel. Sadat’s visit was met with outrage in most of the Arab world, but he continued on his path of peaceful relations with his Jewish neighbour.

In September 1978, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in the United States, where they negotiated a peace accord and, in 1979, a peace treaty. For their achievement, the leaders were awarded a joint Nobel Peace Prize. However, Sadat’s efforts were not so highly acclaimed in the Arab world and he was assassinated by Muslim fundamentalists on 6th October 1981.