I was struck by a comment a friend of mine made about one of my recent podcasts suggesting discussions of the old peace initiatives while interesting history, are wholly irrelevant when discussing Israel’s war in Gaza today.
The OSLO peace accords agreed to in the 90’s were a framework to end the Israeli Palestinian conflict, which included the key issues;
-access from Palestinian held Gaza to the WestBank
-access to Jerusalem and holy sites
-future discussions on what an autonomous Palestinian area would look like
-the claims of Arab refugees displaced to Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan (Right of return)
-areas of joint patrol and security sharing
And in OSLO 2 there were even discussions on how to normalize relations which included reducing Palestinian media embracing of suicide bomb attacks and jihad.
What dates OSLO is the Israeli view that Palestinians will ever be trusted neighbours and friends, especially after 1200 Israelis were killed and close to 200 kidnapped Oct 7. I mean really would you empower a neighbour who vows to extinguish you? Can we expect Israeli’s now to think so soon after this bloodshed about more power for a Palestinian entity? The clear answer is no. Not yet.
And the deaths of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza (22,000 according to various sources) will bring us yet another generation of Palestinians seeking revenge and death.
But where my friend is naive in thinking OSLO is dead, is the fact that the only long term solution to this crisis is some kind of two state solution - even if the Palestinian State to be is unarmed and somehow policed by an international force.
Israel’s right wing Government’s discussion of putting Jewish settlements back into Gaza (They were removed in 2005) is a disaster in the making, driven by religious zealots completely out of touch with reality.
Only by embracing the moderate Palestinians (And there are many) will Israel have a long term chance at survival, although Hamas is gaining strength in the short term.
There are extremists in Gaza and the West Bank, and inside Israel itself, who seek only conflict believing it’s a biblical war to be. But that thinking will only ignite the entire region and bring us all to the brink of disaster.
Israel needs to secure Gaza, and remove Hamas from using the area as a launch pad for terror. No easy task ahead.
But then the daily losses on both sides will in the coming months slowly reignite sensible discussions about Palestinian self rule, and the need to bring moderates back to the table.
Anyone who says a Palestinian State is a non starter, or OSLO’s ghost was long ago chased off by Netanyahu’s ill conceived approach to the conflict, doesn’t understand that history will keep repeating itself in the region until a real peace process takes shape.
The longer this plays out, the bloodier it all becomes.
In the 90’s it was Palestinians throwing stones to Israeli soldiers armed with teargas and rubber bullets. Then AK57’s to M16’s. Then rockets and mortars and anti tank guns and drones and hang glider intrusions.
The escalation in violence and sophistication of attacks funded by Iran, and carried out by Hamas is stunning and frightening.
Time is long past for a real deal between Israel and Palestinians to end the bloodshed.