Oslo Accord

Thursday, November 09, 2023

Last night, PBS re-ran a 2002 episode of Frontline entitled “Shattered Dreams of Peace: The Road From Oslo.” I don’t recall previously seeing this documentary and last night couldn’t tear myself away. For two hours, it knits together pieces of a peace process that began in 1993, and since has alternately represented both promise and destruction.

That peace process began in 1993 with the signing of the Oslo Accord by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. At that time, President Clinton facilitated the first-ever recorded handshake between those leaders. Following their handshake came years full of threats, violence, and setbacks by radical nationalistic factions. Those factions represented both Jews and Palestinians. An evolving Hamas was totally opposed to any comprise between the two nations.

Watching, I recalled that Clinton-facilitated handshake, and also not long afterward, the tragic assassination by a Jewish extremist of the peacemaker, Rabin. The Jewish population became more right-centered and facilitated the rise of ultra-conservative Benjamin Netanyahu.

From its beginning, the Oslo Accord repeatedly has been interrupted by radical and nationalistic Jews and Palestinians alike. This documentary helped me recall key Israel-Palestine conflicts. Its narrative flow clarifies what’s happening and why between those nations and why many other nations are involved.

Last month’s Hamas uprising immediately plowed a hammer into Ukraine’s war. Both battles are involving most of the world’s nations. To gain an overview and insight, watch this Frontline. It’s available on PBS, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

Dear Friends: This morning in my world, I’m going horseback riding. Diana