A Peace Process Primer

Introduction

Since its establishment in 1948, the State of Israel has sought peace with its neighbors through direct negotiations; however, its efforts to reach out for peace and to open direct channels of dialogue were not met by similar efforts on the Arab side.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat accepted Prime Minister Begin's invitation for dialogue, and the two countries embarked on historic bilateral negotiations that led to the 1978 Camp David Accords and the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty. Since then, the treaty has withstood regional tensions and cooperation between the two states has grown, though the relationship is still referred to as a "cold peace" because it has failed to result in the neighborly ties Israelis hoped for.

The breakup of the Soviet Union and the Gulf War produced a change in the basic political order of the Middle East, prompting the Arab world to reassess its attitude toward Israel and to enter into negotiations to build a new future for the Middle East. In October 1991, a conference was convened in Madrid to inaugurate direct peace talks. Subsequently, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians, as well as multilateral talks on key regional issues. No agreements were reached, but the groundwork was laid for future talks.

Israel-PLO Recognition

Following intense behind-the-scenes contacts between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Oslo, Norway, an agreement was achieved between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. On September 9, 1993, Chairman Arafat sent a letter to Prime Minister Rabin, in which he stated unequivocally that the PLO recognized the right of Israel to exist in peace and security and renounced the use of terrorism and other acts of violence. In reply, Israel recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians in the peace negotiations.

Four days later, a joint Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles (DOP), based on the agreement worked out in Oslo, was signed by the two parties in Washington, outlining the proposed interim self-government arrangements, as envisioned and agreed by both sides. The arrangements contained in the DOP include immediate Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and Jericho, early empowerment for the Palestinians in West Bank, and an agreement on self-government and the election of a Palestinian council.

The Interim Agreement

Shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Principles, negotiations commenced between Israeli and PLO delegations on the implementation of the interim agreement, which was accomplished through a series of agreements that led to the transfer of territory and power to the Palestinians. The Gaza-Jericho Agreement signed on May 4, 1994, led to a withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and Jericho and a transfer of authority from the Israeli Civil Administration to a Palestinian Authority. , the structure and composition of the Palestinian Authority, its jurisdiction and legislative powers, a Palestinian police force, and relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip ("Oslo 2") signed September 28, 1995, granted the Palestinians self-government in the West Bank by means of an elected Palestinian Council. This allowed the Palestinians to conduct their own internal affairs, reduce points of friction between Israelis and Palestinians, and open a new era of cooperation and co-existence based on common interest, dignity and mutual respect while, at the same time, protecting the security interests of Israel. This interim arrangement was to last until May 1999. At that time, all remaining issues were to be resolved and a final peace treaty reached. Since the 1995 agreement, several more agreements have been signed that involved the transfer of additional territory and responsibility to the Palestinians.

The May 1999 deadline was not met because of ongoing disputes over the final borders of a Palestinian state and Israel, and disagreement over the final status of Jerusalem, what to do about Jews living in settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, and concerns regarding the return of Palestinian refugees. The full implementation of agreements has also been impeded by the failure of the Palestinians to fulfill all their obligations and Israeli reluctance to make further concessions in the light of Palestinian violence.

Israel's position regarding a permanent status agreement is that it will not return to the 1967 borders; Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel; settlement blocs in the territories will remain under Israeli sovereignty and there will be no foreign army west of the Jordan River.

Israel-Jordan Negotiations

Israel and Jordan have a long history of secret negotiations and, for the most part, relations were peaceful since the 1967 war. King Hussein was reluctant to move toward a formal peace with Israel, however, so long as no progress was made in talks with the Palestinians. After the Oslo agreement paved the way for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Hussein moved forward with bilateral talks with Israel and signed the Israeli-Jordanian Common Agenda on September 14, 1993. The Common Agenda constituted the blueprint for the Treaty of Peace that ultimately was signed on October 26, 1994. With the ratification of the peace treaty full diplomatic relations were established between Israel and Jordan on November 27, 1994. Since that time, relations between Israel and Jordan have been steadily progressing.

Israel-Syria Negotiations

The dispute between Israel and Syria centers on the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the Six-Day War and defended against Syrian attack in the 1973 war. For many years, Israel insisted that it could not return the Golan Heights because of their strategic value. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, however, offered to return part, and possibly all, of the territory in exchange for security guarantees and a peace treaty that would lead to the normalization of relations between Syria and Israel. Negotiations continued off and on, but stalled because of the Syrian insistence that Israel completely withdraw from the Golan Heights as a precondition to any agreement. Syrian President Hafez Assad, moreover, never said he would be prepared to make peace with Israel even if the entire Golan area was returned.

Prime Minister Ehud Barak has reiterated a willingness to negotiate with Syria and, like Rabin, pledge to put any proposed treaty to a national referendum before it is signed. The death of longtime Syrian President Hafez Assad has opened up the possibility that his son may alter his father's rejectionist policies and take steps toward peace with Israel. For now, however, he is focused on consolidating his power and addressing Syrian domestic issues.

Israel-Lebanon Negotiations

From the beginning of the peace process, negotiations with Lebanon have been overshadowed by Syrian control over Lebanon's policies and decision-making process. Israel has consistently said it makes no claims to Lebanese land or resources, and that its primary concern is for security on its northern border. On May 24, 2000, the Government of Israel completed the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon to the international border, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425. Israel still waits for the Lebanese army to take control of the southern border region to prevent terrorist attacks. The expectation is that no formal peace treaty can be signed before Syria reaches an agreement with Israel.