The Illusion of Peace: Reflecting on the Oslo Accords and the Palestinian Struggle
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Sulaiman
- . June 30, 2023
- . Update: June 30, 2023 8:20 pm
The signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was heralded as a historic step towards peace in the Middle East. But as the years and decades went by, it became more and more obvious that the Accords had not achieved their stated goal of bringing about a fair and durable peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, they helped to strengthen Israeli rule over Palestinian territories and continue the enslavement of the Palestinian people. This article looks at how the Oslo Accords fell short of their goals and how that has affected the Palestinian people’s fight for independence ever since.
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A Prelude to Oslo: Historical Context
Considering the events leading up to the Oslo Accords’ signing is critical to comprehend their significance. Since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, Palestinians have lived under occupation, dispossession, and forced relocation for many years. The first Intifada, a popular movement against Israeli occupation, had just occurred, drawing attention to the condition of the Palestinian people on a global scale. This was the backdrop for the covert negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian representatives, resulting in the Oslo Accords’ signature.
The Illusion of Peace
Although the Oslo Accords were hailed as a victory for peace, several detractors, including Palestinian academic Edward Said, voiced their doubts right once. They claimed that rather than being a genuine route to liberation, the Accords signified a Palestinian surrender. of fact, there was a severe imbalance of power between Israel, a modern state, and the Palestinians, a nation without a state and under occupation. The Accords did not address fundamental problems like Jerusalem’s status, Palestinian refugees’ right to return, and the boundaries of a future Palestinian state.
The Legacy of Oslo
The Oslo Accords did not create a Palestinian state; instead, they solidified Israeli occupation and increased Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The prospects for Palestinian self-governance have been further dashed by accusations of corruption and inefficiency against the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was set up as part of the Accords. The international community’s concern has diminished, and it now only sometimes denounces outrageous acts of brutality while ignoring Israel’s status as an occupying state.
Furthermore, inside the 1948 borders and occupied territories, Israeli government policies continued to marginalize and discriminate against Palestinians. These practices have been referred to as apartheid by human rights organizations, reflecting the systematic rejection of Palestinians’ fundamental rights. Despite these facts, the international community frequently defends and encourages Israeli actions, emphasizing the need for self-defense and offering significant military assistance.
With its emphasis on technical agreements and stopgap measures, the Oslo Accords fell short of addressing the underlying causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Without methods for enforcing them, holding people accountable, or acknowledging power disparities, the Accords did nothing more than maintain the existing quo. The lack of genuine commitment to finding solutions to complex problems and acknowledging the historical ties that Palestinians have to their land highlighted the agreement’s flaws.
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In hindsight, the Oslo Accords were a squandered chance for an equitable and thorough settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Accords didn’t usher in a time of peace and justice; instead, they perpetuated the oppression of the Palestinian people, enabling Israel to strengthen its hold and build more settlements. The Oslo framework ignored significant concerns and disparities in power, favoring band-aid fixes over long-term fixes. After 30 years, the naysayers’ predictions have come true, and Oslo’s failure is now more clear than ever. Israelis’ and Palestinians’ aspirations and rights must be prioritized in any new strategy for bringing about peace and justice in the region.
