Collection of unique souvenir items from the time of the Israel-Egypt peace process: envelope signed by Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, and other high-ranking personalities (see below), with stamp issued to mark the signing of the peace agreement (March 1979); two envelopes with postmarks commemorating US President Jimmy Carter's visit to Israel (March 1979); and a foolscap sheet bearing a postmark commemorating the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Begin and Sadat (1978). All items feature political cartoons by Richard (Dick) Cawdor.
The present collection represents the joint efforts of the Jewish-American political cartoonist Richard (Dick) Cawdor, the American-Israeli rabbi, David Geffen, and the former president of the Israel National Labor Court, Steve Adler. In the 1970s, Cawdor worked in Israel. Inspired by the enthusiasm generated by the peace process with Egypt, Cawdor produced the cartoon "Bird of Peace" (the dove of peace made to look like a primitive aircraft, with Carter, Begin, and Sadat seated in it, along with the inscription "Peace, it can fly!"). Rabbi Geffen, a friend of Cawdor's, had the cartoon printed on envelopes, stationery, and cards, and sold the items outside the Central Branch of the Israel Post Office in Jerusalem. Steve Adler received a number of such envelopes and cards from Rabbi Geffen, and asked his friend, Professor Marvin Gottesman – personal physician to Menachem Begin, who accompanied Begin in all his foreign travels – to do him the favor of collecting the signatures of various high-ranking personalities. A unique collector's item was thus created, bringing together a combination of illustrations, postmarks, postage stamps, and autographs of political leaders, all together documenting the process that led to the signing of the very first peace agreement between Israel and one of its Arab neighbors. For additional information see: Richard Cawdor, David Geffen, and Steve Adler, "The Israeli-Egyptian ‘Bird of Peace' Trilogy, " Jerusalem Post article, January 13, 2022 (English).
Included in the collection:
1. Envelope bearing the signatures of prominent personalities in the Israel-Egypt peace process:  Menachem Begin (signatures in both Hebrew and English), Anwar Sadat (signatures in both Arabic and English), Moshe Dayan, Yigael Yadin, US Ambassador to Israel at the time, Samuel Lewis, US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil. Bearing the Israeli postage stamp, designed by Roni and Arie Hecht, issued on the occasion of the signing of the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, along with a postmark commemorating the day of the signing of the historical agreement: March 26, 1979. The envelope features the political cartoon titled "The Peace Plow, " signed by Dick Cawdor, and, as part of a series, numbered 52/62.
2-3. Two envelopes bearing cartoons by Cawdor, both dedicated to US President Jimmy Carter's visit to Israel, which began on March 11, 1979. Both envelopes also bear an Israeli postage stamp, and an Israeli postmark dated the day of the visit, in addition to a US postmark applied March 28, 1979, shortly after the ceremony marking the signing of the peace agreement, as well as a US postage stamp. One of the envelopes also features an Egyptian postmark and postage stamp.
4. Foolscap sheet printed with Cawdor's cartoon titled "Bird of Peace, " along with Israeli postage stamps and a postmark dated the day of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, December 10, 1978; a US postmark dated March 28, 1979 (two days after the signing of the peace agreement on the White House Lawn, Washington DC); and a US postage stamp.
• Also enclosed: A photograph from the Israel-Egypt peace talks; unsigned. The photo shows the heads of the Israeli delegation to the talks: Menachem Begin, Moshe Dayan, Ezer Weizman, Aharon Barak, and others; and the heads of the Egyptian delegation: Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and other figures.
Size varies. Overall good condition.