Why Lasting Peace Is Out Of Reach: A Look At The Oslo Accords—And Why They Failed

Why Lasting Peace Is Out Of Reach: A Look At The Oslo Accords—And Why They Failed

Les Crawford 

The past often explains the present. This rings especially true in regards to the questions many have concerning Israel and the Palestinians. Where did the Palestinian Authority come from and when? How does Hamas feature in past attempts at peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians? What significance is attached to the areas of Gaza and the West Bank (Biblically known as Judea and Samaria)? To answer these questions and more, we need to examine a crucial period of negotiations for peace known as the Oslo Accords.

The Hope of Oslo I

The first round of these agreements was negotiated secretly from 1992 to 1993 between representatives of Israel, including Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). The first agreement, Oslo I, was signed on September 13, 1993, by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. It affirmed recognition of the State of Israel and Palestinian self-governance, paving the way for a two-state solution. It also provided for the withdrawal of Israeli security forces and transfer of authority to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA). Also, it included a five-year transitional period for Palestinian self-governance, as well as ongoing negotiations on multiple other issues.

To mark this seemingly significant achievement for peace, the three primary participants, Rabin, Peres, and Arafat, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in late 1994. Unfortunately, the Accords failed to deliver peace.

The Doom of Oslo II

The second round of negotiations continued, despite attempts by religious opponents on both sides to disrupt them, primarily Hamas on the Palestinian side. The talks resulted in the signing of the Oslo II Accords by Rabin, Peres, and Arafat on September 28, 1995. Oslo II was more detailed than its predecessor and provided for Palestinians to elect representatives to govern the PA, further redeployment of Israeli security forces, creation of three zones (Areas A, B, and C) within the West Bank and Gaza, and future negotiations on outstanding issues with a permanent resolution by May 4, 1999.

The Oslo Accords came to an end because of the killing of 29 Palestinians in Hebron in February 1994, the assassination of Rabin by an Israeli extremist in November 1995, continuing violence against Jewish Israelis by Hamas, and the Second Intifada by the Palestinians following Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount in September 2000. In reality, the dream of peace was just that—a dream—and was destined to fail because the majority of Palestinians did not support the process and outcomes of the Accords. Israel was also wary of its close proximity to security threats from a jihadist population that was determined to eliminate it.

The Destruction That Followed

It seemed that the Accords would benefit Israel through the Palestinian commitment to recognize the Jewish state’s right of existence. But the increased legitimacy of the Palestinian people and leadership with the creation of the Palestinian Authority only served to strengthen their position in demanding concessions from Israel in the international arena.

The United Nations had previously recognized the PLO as a representative of the Palestinian people, then designated as Palestine in 1988, and in November 2012, it gave Palestine non-member observer state status in response to an application from PA President Mahmoud Abbas. By 2024, the UN passed a motion affirming that Palestine met the requirement for UN membership, which did not result in admission because of a previous U.S. veto in the security council. The Palestinians’ growing prominence provided a platform to attack Israel and attempt to delegitimize its possession of territory rightfully gained by purchase and spoils of defensive wars. 

Rather than producing greater support for peace, negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians provoked increased antagonism from the general Palestinian population, which considered Hamas more aligned with its position of resistance against the Israeli “colonizers.” Thus, Hamas increased its influence in comparison to the Palestinian Authority, which led to its takeover of Gaza from Fatah in 2006 after Israel’s total withdrawal in 2005. Hamas then used billions of dollars in aid funds to build a military base to attack Israel from Gaza, resulting in the horrific massacre of 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023.

Behind this intense and persistent hatred of Israel is a spiritual war between Satan and God. God’s redemptive plan includes the future salvation of Israel (Romans 11) in fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:1–3, 7; 15:1–21; 26:1–5; 35:9–15), then to David (2 Samuel 7:1–17) and in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–40; Ezekiel 36:22–38). Satan has attempted to thwart God’s plan by eliminating God’s Chosen People many times throughout history through many proxies—from Haman to Hitler to Hamas. He will not succeed, but his incitement of hatred will continue and grow even more hostile through the Antichrist in the coming Tribulation.

Christians ought to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), but we must also realize that only in the coming of the Prince of Peace will lasting peace occur for Jerusalem, Israel, and the nations.