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Oslo Peace Know About Oslo I Accord and

Oslo II Accord in Detail!
Accords
The Oslo Peace Accords were a set of accords signed by the two committees: the Oslo I Accord in
Washington D.C. in 1993 and the Oslo II Accord in Taba, Egypt in 1995. The agreements established
limited Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Oslo Peace Accords are a set
of accords agreed by the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). They were
signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. This topic is important
for the UPSC Prelims syllabus and also GS Paper 2 under UPSC Mains Syllabus.

Recent Update on Oslo Peace Accords

• If the US releases its Middle East Peace Plan, Palestine has vowed to withdraw from major
sections of the Oslo Accords.
• According to reports, the proposal will make Israel's interim occupation of Palestinian territories
permanent.

Background of the Oslo Peace Accords

• The Oslo Accords and the Camp David Accords are extremely similar. The Camp David Accords
were a collection of agreements signed by Egypt and Israel in 1978, five years after the Yom
Kippur War.
• The Camp David Accords itself envisioned autonomy for West Bank and Gaza Palestinians.
Concerns were raised concerning the continuation of Israeli settlement in the West Bank, as the
number of settlers increased.
• However, the Israeli government refused to negotiate with the Palestinian Liberation Organization
since it deemed the PLO to be a terrorist organisation. As a result, the Camp David Accords put
this matter on hold.
• The situation altered in the 1990s when Israel opted to recognise the PLO as the Palestinians'
representation and began direct negotiations with them.
• The Oslo Accords, like the Camp David Accords, were aimed at an interim accord allowing for
starting steps, followed by a final settlement in a 5-year period.

• Two accords were signed: the Oslo I Accord in Washington D.C. in 1993 and the Oslo II Accord
in Taba, Egypt in 1995.
• The agreements created limited Palestinian self-government in sections of Gaza and the West
Bank.
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• Following the publication of the United States' Middle East Peace Plan, the Palestinian leadership
announced their intention to withdraw from the Oslo Peace Accord.

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What was Oslo I Accord?

• Oslo I (1993) is technically known as the Principles Declaration (DOP). The agreement set a
timeline for the Middle East peace process.
• It intended to establish an interim Palestinian administration in Gaza and Jericho, West Bank.

What was the Oslo II Accord?

• Oslo II, formally known as the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, built on Oslo I. It called for the entire evacuation of Israeli forces from six West Bank cities
and around 450 communities.
• Furthermore, the agreement established a timeline for elections to the Palestinian Legislative
Council.
• It called for the entire evacuation of Israeli forces from six West Bank cities and around 450
communities.
• Furthermore, the agreement established a timeline for elections to the Palestinian Legislative
Council.
• The interim agreement was originally scheduled to last five years while a permanent deal was
negotiated, yet it has been in effect for more than two decades.

What was the purpose of the Oslo Accords?

• The Oslo Accord was an attempt in 1993 to establish a framework for resolving the ongoing
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• The Oslo Accords were a watershed moment in Israeli-Palestinian relations, aimed at accelerating
the peace process and establishing Palestinian self-rule in the majority of the West Bank.
• The Oslo Accords, signed by Israel and Palestine in 1993, were an attempt to end decades of
fighting between the two sides.
• This was made possible by a shift in mood in the Middle East.

Objectives of the Oslo Peace Accords

• Following secret discussions in Oslo, Israel recognised the PLO as the Palestinian people's
representation and an equal partner in negotiations.
• The following were the goals of the forthcoming accords:
o The Oslo process began with secret discussions in Oslo, which resulted in the PLO's
recognition of the State of Israel and Israel's recognition of the PLO as the Palestinian
people's representation and negotiating partner.
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o Withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territories, and transfer of security

responsibilities to Palestinian authority.
o There was to be an agreement on a protocol for free elections in Palestinian areas.
o The establishment of a foundation for an independent Palestinian state.

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Achievements of the Oslo Peace Accords

• Representatives from the Israeli government and the PLO came to Norway in 1993 to begin
discussions.
• Both Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yassir Arafat led delegations.
Norwegian government delegates, led by deputy foreign minister Jan Egeland, served as
mediators between the two parties.
• The Oslo I agreements also established a follow-up agreement for the Oslo II accords, which
included negotiations over how Jerusalem would be ruled, or rather, who would control it, as both
sides claimed it as their respective capital.
• Borders, security, and the rights of Israeli settlements in the West Bank were also discussed.
• The Oslo II agreement granted the Palestinian Authority limited power over Gaza and the West
Bank while allowing Israel to annex much of the West Bank and laid the framework for future
collaboration between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
• One of the treaties' terms barred both parties from using violence against each other.

Result of the Oslo Peace Accord

• Despite the optimism that peace between Israel and Palestine would be achieved, it became clear
very quickly that this would not be the case.
• The Palestinian Authority condemned Israel for failing to follow through on certain of the Oslo
Accords' commitments. Specifically, the military disengagement agreement.
• Although settlement of Israelis in the West Bank was delayed at the request of the US, it resumed
in the early 2000s.
• At the same time, it was discovered that violence between Israelis and Palestinians had increased
since the signing of the agreements.
• When the Palestinian Authority came to power, the violence worsened, making it possible for
them to lose control of Gaza and the West Bank.

• Both sides' negotiators reconvened in Camp David, but no progress on a more comprehensive
deal was reached, and the discussions failed as a consequence.
• Things reached a climax in September 2000, when Palestinian terrorists announced a "Second
Intifada," calling for an increase in violence against Israelis.
• The ensuing bloodshed dashed any chances of peace, and no substantive talks have taken place
between the two parties since.
• Despite the fact that several elements of the Oslo Accords have been implemented, many others
have been completely abandoned.

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Israel Palestine Conflict for UPSC

• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world's longest-running and most controversial.
• It claims to have originated in 957 BC, when King Solomon built the first temple in the Israelite
kingdom, which was destroyed in 587/586 BC by Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon.
• Though both Arab Muslims and Jews claim the area for thousands of years, the modern political
conflict began in the early twentieth century.
• Uncertainties between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank are
usually high.
• Gaza is administered by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organisation that has frequently criticised
Israel. Egypt and Israel strictly control Gaza's borders.
• Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza admit to suffering as a result of Israeli restrictions and
activities. Israel claims to be exclusively concerned with defending itself against Palestinian
aggression.
• Because British rulers were unable to broker peace between Jews and Muslims, the state of Israel
was established in 1948.

Conclusion
We hope that the preceding text helped you understand all about the Oslo Peace Accords and the conflict
between Israel and Palestine. The accomplishments and conclusion of the Oslo peace agreements. The
conflict between Israel and Palestine is consistently a top trending topic on all social media platforms.
One of their most major clashes occurred in 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem.

UPSC Practice Question

1.The Oslo peace accords of the 1990s gave the Palestinians self-rule in parts of the West Bank. Critically
evaluate the statement.

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