On 19 November 1977 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli leaders took a decisive diplomatic step that helped set the stage for a negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel. Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem earlier that month—an unprecedented move by a sitting Arab leader—had created momentum for talks. The November framework referred to here denotes the initial diplomatic understanding and subsequent opening of direct negotiations that culminated in later agreements, most notably the Camp David Accords in 1978 and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty of 1979. Background: Since Israel’s founding in 1948, Egypt and Israel fought several wars, including the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the 1956 Suez Crisis, the 1967 Six-Day War (in which Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula), and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. By the mid-1970s, exhaustion from repeated conflict, changing regional dynamics, and U.S. diplomatic engagement created conditions for renewed negotiations. In November 1977, Sadat’s surprise trip to Jerusalem on October 19—accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin—shocked many in the Arab world but opened channels for talks. What the November 19 framework entailed: The term “framework” describes the emerging diplomatic posture and agreements in principle that allowed formal talks to begin. These exchanges clarified that both sides were willing to discuss territorial arrangements, security guarantees, and normalization of relations. The understandings reached domestically and bilaterally in late 1977 enabled U.S.-brokered shuttle diplomacy and formal negotiations at Camp David the following year. The discussions also involved broader issues such as the future of the Sinai Peninsula, withdrawal timetables, and arrangements for peace and security. Key actors and diplomacy: The negotiations involved Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin as principal national leaders, with significant roles played by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his administration as mediator. Diplomatic teams and advisors from both countries participated in detailed talks on territorial withdrawal, military arrangements, and political normalization. International concern and regional reactions varied: some Arab states opposed Egypt’s engagement with Israel, while others cautiously observed U.S.-led mediation efforts. Immediate consequences: The diplomatic opening following November 1977 produced a sequence of events that led to the Camp David Accords in September 1978, where Egyptian and Israeli negotiators signed two frameworks—one on the future of the West Bank and Gaza (between Israel and the Palestinians) and one on Egypt–Israel peace—and ultimately to the bilateral Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty signed in March 1979. Domestically, Sadat faced criticism and isolation from several Arab governments, and Egypt was suspended from the Arab League until 1989. For Israel and Egypt, the resulting treaty returned the Sinai to Egyptian control in stages and established normalized diplomatic relations. Long-term significance: The series of diplomatic breakthroughs that began with Sadat’s 1977 outreach transformed Middle East geopolitics. Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a formal peace treaty with Israel, altering alliance structures and U.S. engagement in the region. The treaty has endured despite tensions and changes in leadership, making it a notable example of a negotiated, bilateral settlement that resolved a core interstate territorial conflict. Notes on terminology and sources: Contemporary accounts and later histories describe November 1977 as a pivotal moment in which initial frameworks and understandings were formed; however, terminology varies among sources. Some histories treat Sadat’s October visit as the primary catalyst, while November negotiations formalized follow-up arrangements that enabled Camp David. This summary draws on widely documented diplomatic timelines and widely available primary and secondary sources on Middle East diplomacy from the late 1970s.