Oslo Accords

Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles, was a 1993 agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It was particularly notable for being the first direct, face to face, meeting between the two parties. It was also the first time Palestine recognized the state of Israel's right to exist. Finalized in Oslo, Norway, the agreement was signed in Washington, DC on September 13, 1993. The agreement established the Palestinian National Authority as the administrative body of Palestine and has served as a framework for all negotiations since. The Oslo Accords, and the peace process in general, suffered serious setbacks with the 2000 declaration of the Second Intifada and the repeal of many policies of the Palestinian National Authority following the 2006 election of Hamas.

Basic Principles:

Calls for Israeli withdrawal from The West Bank and Gaza Strip
Declares right of self-government in those areas
Creates the Palestinian National Authority as the governing body
Established a five year interim rule for adjusting to new agreement
Israel recognized the PLO as representative of the people
The PLO recognized Israeli statehood
Established three zones of control between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority

Criticisms:

Some argue that the Oslo Accords can only succeed by further separating the two parties
Failed to address expansion of Israeli Settlements
Issues avoided by the Oslo Accords, like Palestinian Right of Return, Division of Jerusalem, and several disputed borders have continued to erode efforts of the peace process
Some argue the Oslo Accords did not give true sovereignty to the Palestinian National Authority

Categories

History | Middle Eastern History | Politics | Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

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Also try: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Oslo Accords
BBC News: Text: 1993 Declaration of Principles
World History Archives: The Oslo Accord of 1993
Earlham College: History of Oslo Accords
Counter Punch: The Death of the Oslo Accords (July 3, 2002)
Cato Institute: The Real Lesson of the Oslo Accord: 'Localize' the Arab-Israeli Conflict (May 9, 1994)
MEDEA: Oslo Peace Process (October, 2000)

Oslo Accords Background

Madrid Conference of 1991

Wikipedia: Madrid Conference of 1991
Palestine Facts: Background of Madrid Peace Conference, 1991
Electronic Intefada: Madrid Peace Conference (30 October 1991)

The New World Order

Wikipedia: New World Order
Center for the Study of the Presidency: The New World Order in Theory and Practice (March, 2001)
Socialism Today: 5 years of Oslo (May 4, 1999)

Oslo Accords Documents

UNSCO: Key Documents and Agreements
Al Mashriq: Fafo Reports on Palestinian Society
Asrael Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement (September 28, 1995)
The Avalon Project (Yale Law School): Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization Agreement (1993)
al-Bab: New World Order: George Bush's Speech (March 6, 1991)

Oslo Accords Blogs and Commentaries

Daniel Pipes Weblog: A PLO Leader: Oslo Accords Led to Palestinian Violence (July 27, 2006)
Daniel Pipes Weblog: Why Oslo's Hopes Turned to Dust (September 9, 2003)
Executive Intelligence Review: Who Murdered the Oslo Accords? (April 19, 2002)

Related Pages on Mahalo

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | Israel | Gaza Strip | The West Bank | Six Day War | 1948 Arab Israeli War | 1982 Lebanon War | Hebron Agreement | Palestinian Right of Return | Palestinian Refugee | Division of Jerusalem