“After the Oslo Accords were signed, I went to Tunisia to visit him [Arafat] in July. I told him: ‘We disagree. I don’t support this agreement. It will harm us. [Arafat] told me: ‘By Allah, I will drive them crazy. I will make these [Oslo] Accords a disaster for them [Israel]. It won’t be in my lifetime, but you will see the Israelis run away from Palestine. Have a little patience … The Al-Aqsa Brigades [Fatah terrorist wing] were founded and armed by him [Arafat] as a reply, as a counterweight to the historic mistake of the Oslo Accords.” ~Al-Quds al-Arabi Editor-in-Chief, Abd al-Bari ‘Atwan
This week, in a special meeting of the Knesset to memorialize the murder of Yitzhak Rabin, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin declared the death of the Oslo Accords … the project Rabin was remembered for.
I believe Mr. Rivlin is correct … but I believe it was dead before it began…
A brief history on the agreements: The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements adjudicated between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, acting as representatives of the Palestinian people) in 1993 as part of a peace process between the two sides. It was formally called the Declaration of Principles. Despite the great expectations voiced in the Accords, and in the succeeding agreements’ promising similar normalization of Arab-Israeli relations, to this day the problem has not been resolved.
The main reason for the failure was … despite Mr. Rabin’s sincere and honorable intensions: His “peace’“ partners were anything BUT…
I do not question Mr. Rabin’s sincere love for Israel nor his desire to see lasting peace in the Jewish State. But when you make a business deal, you wouldn’t agree to work with known thieves … so why make agreements with liars, thieves and people who school their children in bloodthirsty hatred of you and your people?
A contract like that is certainly headed for breach.
Since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, 1,526 innocent Israelis have been murdered (and countless others seriously injured) by their wanna-be neighbors and “partners in peace“. A tragedy, but not unexpected when considering that those committing the violence continue to school their children in lies and hatred toward the people with which they SAY they want to live at peace. And, as you read this, their violent attacks on Jewish civilians continue unchallenged by the West.
With all due respect to the memory of Mr. Rabin, the Oslo Accords were never viable because they lacked one important element: A sincere and viable peace partner in the Palestinians (PLO). When the veracity is one-sided in a contract, that agreement is moot.
And this one was dead before it breathed its first breath.
Shalom through strength…
Image: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, U.S. president Bill Clinton,and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat;courtesy of gpo.gov; author Vince Musi/The White House; public domain
