The Oslo Accords: 30 Years Later

30 years ago, in 1993, the world was full of hope. A future was being drawn in which a resolution was envisionable in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Oslo I Accords were signed in September 1993, a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to a conflict which has lasted from the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 up to this day. In the current context of the Israel-Hamas war, it seems all the more important to reflect on this event. Although, some may look at the involved parties in black and white as either heroes or traitors, it seems far more relevant to see politicians such as Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin as compromising realists. 

It is impossible to claim that the built-up resentment on both sides from decades of tensions and murderous wars was suddenly eradicated by envisioning the possibility of peace. Quite on the contrary – each party, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), arrived with personal backgrounds and differing interests. What is crucial to take away from this, and which is still a reason for hope to this day, is that despite resentment and experiences of war, a compromise was reached. It was not perfect in anyone’s perspective, but it gave hope that the Palestinian state could finally be accepted, and gave Israel hope for further security and acceptance. To this day, the Oslo Accords are the closest that Israel and Palestine ever came to peace. In the context we are living in, both sides tend to demonize each other as terrorists and tend to reject the vision of the context which led up to the suffering that we see now. Israel’s right wing extremist government and Hamas both use this suffering in à ‘PR war’ which can know no winner. The reminder of the vision that was held  by Rabin and Arafat is all the more crucial in such a context as their message was that for the region to develop peace had to prevail. 

The Accords came out of a backdrop of instability in the Middle East and in the wake of the First Intifada of 1987 — a series of riots by Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel against the occupation of Palestinian territory. Most importantly, the Accords came from a notion that the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts were disastrous for the entire region’s ability to move forward into an era of progress. This conflict was seen by all sides as an ever present fear, hindering the notion of complete unity and stability in the region. Before the Gulf War, king Fahd of Saudi Arabia had referred to the conflict with Israel as a plaguing fear. At the dawn of the twenty first century, peace was no longer simply an option — it was the only way forward. A crucial outcome of this was the mutual recognition of Israel and the PLO, permitting further negotiation and opening up the doors to a future with two recognized states and an open peace process.

30 years later, the Oslo Accords are but a distant memory. In the circumstances we are living through, witnessing the violence and pain that is still a recurring vision in Israel and Palestine, it can be difficult to think that after 75 years of fighting and mutual rejection, there can be a solution. However, it is important to remember that peace processes and accords can still be found. There is more international support for peace now than ever before, and there is a real need on the ground as the current situation is creating unbearable chaos and bloodshed. The governments (from any side) may not be willing to make the steps towards peace now, but it is crucial to remember that this can change, there is nothing predestining this conflict to continue its ravages. On this note, it is important to remember that the most tragic aspect  of attacks that target civilians is that those are often the same people who want peace the most and have nothing to do with policies run by Hamas or the Israeli government. As an example we can look at the concert goers and peace activists murdered and kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 whose misfortune is being used as a reason for Israeli bombing when their families express specific rejection of this.