Failure of Oslo Peace Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Failure of Oslo Peace Process - Essay Example The conflict has been over borders, water rights, security, Palestinian freedom of movement, control of Jerusalem and solving refugee problem. Zionist claims that they returned to claim their ancestral land from Palestinians (Gelvin, 2007, p. 7). Complete dispossession of the Palestinian-Arabs from the land so that Israelis could inhabit and make it a Jewish state become completely impossible. 1947-1949 war which Israel outnumbered Palestine on the land of Palestinians and the continued massacres resulted to continued war up-to-date. Israel over time has forcefully acquired private land in West Bank and taken control of Gaza where Palestinians have little control over their lives, are oppressed and discriminated. Oslo peace process begun as a clandestine negotiation in a house that was secluded and owned by Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1990 in the Oslo outskirts. The negotiation was to initiate peace process and even at the time of conducting the meeting it was done in se crecy since house occupants were informed that it was an academic working (Williams, 2009, p. 77). It was illegal for Israel citizens to come into any meeting with members of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Publicizing of the peace process resulted to a serious preparation on both sides to come into an agreement with a long time enemy. This was not taken lightly by the Israelites where an assassination was made on Israel Prime Minister Rabin in 1995. The Oslo Accord comprised of a series of understandings and agreements reached upon and accepted in the initial secret bilateral negotiations conducted between PLO and Israel. It had aspects of mutual recognition and declaration of principles. Every detail of historical undertakings and the failure of the process will be the focus of this paper. Initiation of the process After several centuries of bloodshed, conflicts, unending war, discrimination and inhuman activities, leaders led by Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PL O leader Yaasser Arafat begun negotiations that were meant to resolve the conflict. A mutual recognition was granted and declarations of principles were initiated agreeing to establishment of Palestinian self-government in parts of Gaza strip and West bank (Selby, 2003, p. 182). The accord was agreed upon and signed in 1993 where timetables and frameworks of Palestinians transition to self-rule and address border issues, Jerusalem and Israeli settlements and establishment of Palestinian state. Agreement of transfer of responsibility and powers was reached upon in1994 and a treaty of peace was established. These accords were established for the purpose of keeping peace and maintaining justice throughout the operations between Israel and Palestine. President Clinton, Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat after the signing of the Peace Accord. Source: http://janmeador.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/america-adding-sin-to-sin/ Success of Oslo Peace process Control o f most parts of Gaza and Jericho was transferred to Palestinians. Israel forces were therefore within a short time conducted an accelerated withdrawal from the areas specified. Responsibility was given out to over 9,000 Palestinian police force but Israel retained West Bank and most areas of the Jewish settlement in 1994 (Efrat, 2006, p. 201). Transfer of authority was also done on culture, education practices, social welfare, health, tourism and the entire taxation process. Borders between Jordan and Israel were defined and a peace treaty established leading to normalization of existing relations. Later on in 1995, further transfer of powers was done on labor, all economic activities, local