Palestinian Analyst: Oslo Accords Sowed Seeds of Failure
Palestinian political analyst Adel Shdeed believes the 1993 Oslo Accords did not pave the way for a Palestinian state but instead contained the seeds of its own failure, leading to a more complex political and practical reality. Speaking on Radio Al-Shams, Shdeed argued that the popular momentum behind the accords, fueled by trust in Yasser Arafat and the belief it would benefit Palestinians, has since devolved into a downward spiral.
Shdeed noted the significant Israeli, regional, international, and U.S. backing for the accords in 1993, coinciding with Yitzhak Rabin's government and a Democratic U.S. administration, which led many to anticipate an end to the conflict. However, he stated that 33 years later, this period has proven to be merely a stage in a decline, marked by continued settlement expansion and what he described as Israeli overreach.
He asserted that some Palestinians and Arabs who understood the accords' background believed Israel's engagement was driven by economic, security, and regional considerations, not a recognition of Palestinian political rights. Shdeed contended that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) made significant concessions, including recognizing Israel, while Israeli recognition was limited to the PLO as a representative, without explicit acknowledgment of Palestinian political rights.
Citing a dramatic increase in West Bank and Jerusalem settlers from approximately 109,000 in 1993 to about 800,000 today, Shdeed sees this expansion as evidence of Israel's lack of constraints on its settlement activity. He added that current events are no longer solely tied to Oslo or the two-state solution but encompass Israeli policies on the ground, including military actions, settler activities, and financial decisions like withholding tax revenue transfers.
Shdeed also criticized Palestinian performance post-Oslo, suggesting a failure to effectively engage with Israel or the U.S., leaving Palestinians subject to their decisions. He rejected the notion that Israel alone sabotaged the accords, reiterating that the agreement itself was flawed. He described the Palestinian Authority as having fostered interest groups tied to media, finance, security, and employment, whose personal interests superseded national ones.
He called for a structured Palestinian plan combining struggle and political action, rather than relying on past threats to disavow Oslo. Shdeed concluded that the Palestinian cause's regional and international standing has diminished, with more countries establishing ties with Israel than before Oslo, arguing that Palestinians inadvertently strengthened the Zionist project and that a serious review of the past 33 years is necessary.
