ABSTRACT
With the inauguration of the new Carter administration in January 1977, things started moving again in the Middle East. The long period of stagnation which followed the second Egyptian–Israeli disengagement came to an end. The new administration brought in new personalities and a fresh outlook and a real determination to score some success in the peace-making endeavour. As a relatively unknown personality, both in the United States and abroad, Jimmy Carter needed to do something to build up his image. The major domestic problems – unemployment, inflation, and the energy crisis – were too intractable to serve this purpose. International issues appeared to offer the greatest hope.
