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Despite Its Failure, the Oslo Process Contributed to Israel's National Security

(Jerusalem Post) Ori Wertman - Three decades after the signing of the Oslo Accords, it can be stated that the Oslo process had its shortcomings, but also advantages that contributed to Israel's national security. First, the accords were an instrument for creating a political separation between Israel and the Palestinians, in which 95% of the Palestinian population is controlled mainly by the Palestinian Authority. Second, the Oslo process made it clear to the Jewish public in Israel that there is no chance of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinian national movement in the near future. This realization would not have been possible without the Oslo process, which was a learning experience for Jewish society in Israel, causing it to rid itself of the optimistic illusions that peace is at hand. Third, Israeli Jewish society learned again from the Oslo process that Israel cannot rely on others regarding its security. The Rabin government's expectation that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority would fight the Palestinian terrorist organizations and prevent terrorist attacks against Israel turned out to be disconnected from reality. The Oslo Accords equipped the PA with weapons in order to fight the Palestinian terrorist organizations. However, in the end, the weapons were turned against IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens. The clear lesson is that Israel should stick to its security doctrine: to protect itself by itself, and not rely on others. The writer is a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
2023-09-14 00:00:00
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