Egyptian lawyer files suit demanding Sisi launch referendum on 1979 peace agreement with Israel

Mahmoud Hassanein, a human rights lawyer and activist, has filed a lawsuit demanding that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hold a national referendum on the Camp David Accords and Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, according to The New Arab.

Egypt was the first Arab nation to establish official diplomatic relations with Israel following the historic Camp David summit in 1978. The summit, held at the U.S. presidential retreat and hosted by then-President Jimmy Carter, brought together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for 12 days of negotiations.

The lawsuit names President al-Sisi, the heads of both houses of Egypt’s parliament, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League as respondents. It cites constitutional articles requiring public approval of treaties concerning peace, using this as the basis for calling a referendum.

Hassanein argues that Israel has repeatedly violated the 1979 treaty, particularly by refusing to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 242, which calls for Israel's withdrawal from territories it occupied in 1967. He also cites the Israeli occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor—located between Gaza and Egypt—as a breach of Egyptian sovereignty.

The complaint demands an immediate suspension of both the Camp David Accords and the peace treaty until a final judicial decision is reached. It asserts that a “state of necessity” has arisen due to what Hassanein describes as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza and ongoing “aggressive actions” that endanger Egypt’s national security.

The lawsuit contends that these actions collectively invalidate the treaty’s legitimacy and warrant a public referendum to reassess Egypt’s legal and constitutional stance. A date for the court hearing has not yet been scheduled.