Live Olso

Part of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Arab-Israeli conflict series
Israeli-Palestinian peace process
Negotiating parties
Palestinians	Israel
History of the peace process
Camp David Accords • Madrid Conference • Oslo Accords • Oslo II • Hebron Agreement • Wye River Memorandum • Sharm e-Sheikh memorandum • Camp David 2000 Summit • Taba Summit • Road map • Annapolis Conference
Primary negotiation concerns
Antisemitic incitements • Status of Jerusalem • Israeli settlements • Israeli West Bank barrier • Jewish state • Palestinian political violence • Palestinian refugees • Palestinian state • Places of worship
Current Leaders
Mahmoud Abbas • Salam Fayyad	Ehud Olmert • Tzipi Livni
International brokers
Diplomatic Quartet  Â· Egypt
Other proposals
Beirut Summit • Elon Peace Plan • Lieberman Plan • Geneva Accord • Hudna • Israel's unilateral disengagement plan and Realignment plan • Projects working for peace 1 The Golan Heights are not part of Israeli-Palestinian track v â€¢ d â€¢ e

The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles (DOP) was a milestone in Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was the first direct, face-to-face agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It was the first time that the Palestinians publicly acknowledged Israel's right to exist. It was also a framework for the future relations between Israel and the anticipated State of Palestine, when all outstanding final status issues between the two states would be addressed and resolved in one Package Agreement.

The Accords were finalized in Oslo, Norway on August 20, 1993, and subsequently officially signed at a public ceremony in Washington D.C. on September 13, 1993, with Mahmoud Abbas signing for the Palestine Liberation Organization and Shimon Peres signing for the State of Israel. It was witnessed by Warren Christopher for the United States and Andrei Kozyrev for Russia, in the presence of US President Bill Clinton and Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin with the PLO's Chairman Yasser Arafat.

The Oslo Accords were a framework for the future relations between the two parties. The Accords provided for the creation of a Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority had responsibility for the administration of the territory under its control. It also called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

It was anticipated that this arrangement would last for a five year interim period during which a permanent agreement would be negotiated (beginning no later than May 1996). Permanent issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, Israeli settlements in the area, security and borders were deliberately left to be decided at a later stage. Interim self-government was to be granted in phases.

Support for the Accords, of the concessions made and the process have not been free from criticism. Repeated public posturing of all sides has discredited the process, not to mention putting into question the possibility of achieving peace, at least in the short-term. The momentum towards peaceful relations between Israel and the Palestinians as demonstrated by the signing of the Oslo Accords has been seriously jolted with the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000.

Further strain was put on the process after Hamas came into power as a result of the 2006 Palestinian elections. Although offering Israel a number of longterm ceasefires and accepting the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, Hamas has repeatedly refused to officially recognise Israel, to renounce violence or accept some agreements previously made by the Palestinian Authority, claiming it is being held to an unfair standard and illuminated the fact that Israel has neither recognized a Palestinian state, renounced violence or