Israel P.L.O. Peace Treaty Essay -- Middle East Politics Political Ess

Israel P.L.O. Peace Treaty The Middle East has always been known as the Holy Land, the land of the Bible. For centuries, prophets have walked there, nations have collided and conquerors have come and gone. While Jews claim a three thousand-year-old attachment to this ancient land, Arabs also stake their devotion. In 1993, these two peoples, involved in a tragic conflict that has lasted more than half a century, saw the possibility of a new beginning. It was called the Oslo Accord, and it transformed the political realities of the Middle East (Peres, p.2) However, there have been many turbulent events that have followed the signing of the Accord, events that have undermined the agreement and are threatening to drive Israelis and Arabs apart once again. Since the founding of Israel in 1948, there has been continuous conflict between Israel and the Arab states. This conflict has been marked by six bloody wars. In 1867, during the six-day war of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, Israel captured the West Bank, Sinai and the Gaza strip. Subsequently, a population of over a million Palestinian Arabs, together with their land was now under Israeli control. (Spencer, p.70) It was during this time that a Palestinian leader emerged, Yasser Arafat. Labeled a terrorist by Israel and the United States, he and his Palestine Liberation Organization called for the eviction of Israel from the occupied territories by force of arms. In 1979, Israel returned Sinai to Egypt by a peace treaty. Although Egypt’s Prime Minister Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1982 by anti-peace forces, the peace still remained between the two countries. This paved the way for negotiations with Jordan, Syria, and the Palestines. (Hunter, p.17-20) However, Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinian territories led to the uprising of Arab youth in the West Bank and Gaza, known as the Intifada. For the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, the Intifada provided them with a new and assertive Palestinian identity. Israelis were also growing tired of their roles as occupiers, as soldiers trained to defend their country in war were finding themselves aiming their weapons at rock throwing teenagers. Many Israelis were disillusioned and desperately eager for a solution. When the United States and Russia initiated talks in Madrid and Washington at the end of the Cold War, it seemed that peace was at... ...alestinians a path of opportunities has been shown. It is a difficult path, but unless it is pursued, generations might pass before anyone will attempt such a peace process again. Works Cited: â€Å"Chronology of Bombing Attacks Following September 1993 Accord†. www.Nando.com, 1996. â€Å"Chronology of PLO-Israeli Peace Moves†. www.Newsobserver.com, 1995. Corelli, Rae. â€Å"Days of Reckoning† in Maclean’s Magazine p.34-35. Toronto, Canada: Maclean Hunter Limited. September 5, 1996 Finkelstein, Norman G. The Rise and Fall of Palestine- A Personal Account of the Intifada Years. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. Hunter, Robert F. The Palestinian Uprising. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995. â€Å"Israel Mourns Bombing Victims†. www.nando.com, 1996. Peres, Shimon. The New Middle East. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1995. Silver, Eric. â€Å"A Martyr to Peace† in Maclean’s Magazine p.26-28. Toronto, Canada: Maclean Hunter Limited. November 13, 1995 Spencer, Dr. William. The Middle East. Connecticut: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc., 1994 â€Å"U.S. Envoy Organizes Top Israeli, PLO Meeting†. www.lycosnews.com, October, 1997