Internal Assessment: Camp David and Oslo Accords

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Which peace process was more effective in attempting to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: the 1993 Oslo Accords or the Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David in 2000?

Libby Liang

Kiana Yau

Word Count: 1999

History Internal Assessment

International Baccalaureate Programme

Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School

Mr. R. Picard

May 2011

Table of Contents

Section A: Plan of Investigation …………………………………………………….. Page 1

Section B: Summary of Evidence …………………………………………………… Page 2

Section C: Evaluation of Sources ……………………………………………………. Page 6

Section D: Analysis …………………………………………………………………... Page 8

Section E: Conclusion …………………………………………………………………Page 11

Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………….. Page 12

Section A: Plan of Investigation

This investigation seeks to determine which peace talk was more effective in attempting to resolve the Palestinian-Israel conflict: the 1993 Oslo Accords or the Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David in 2000. To complete this investigation, related primary sources, secondary historian accounts, and biographies from a variety of perspectives will be analyzed and their different views regarding the issue will be focused upon. While a variety of sources will be analyzed, two of the primary sources will be evaluated in depth for their origin, purpose, value, and limitation: The Oslo Declaration of Principles and The Trilateral Statement issued by the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians at the Camp David Summit.

Section B: Summary of Evidence

The Oslo Accords (1993)

  • Negotiation in Norway, between PLO represented by Arafat and Abu Ala, and the Israel led by Prime Minister Rabin and Uri Savir
  • Document : The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles
  • No US involvement prior to the signing ceremony in Washington
  • Historic handshake of Rabin and Arafat on September 13, 1993
  • An outline for future negotiations in the 5-year temporary period, to be ended by May 1999
  • Creation of a new Palestinian National Council
  • Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho areas
  • The agreement opposed by the Israeli Ariel Sharon, calling this a “national suicide”
  • Oslo II (September 1995): extension of Oslo of 1993
  • Israel giving out territories of Jenin, Tulkarem, Nablus etc.
  • Control of the Palestinian National Council and PLO over security of the promised Palestinian territories
  • Israel troops present in Hebron

Aftermath:

  • Lead to Paris Protocol (April 29, 1994)
  • Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995
  • economic relations between Israel and Palestinians, as well as Gaza and West Bank
  • agreement on limited customs union, transfer of goods etc, but no establishment of economic unions
  • influence on Gaza Strip-Jericho Area Agreement in Cairo (May 4, 1994) which was about Palestinian self-government in Gaza and Jericho
  • also on Preparatory Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities of August 29, 1994
  • Hebron massacre
  • The Jewish physician Baruch murdered 29 and hurt 75 at the Hebron Tomb of Abraham and the Patriarchs
  • Israel army suppressed Palestinian protestors, 19 dead
  • Arafat stopped negotiation with Israel in protest for the suppression
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Historiography:

  • 3 main principles of the Declaration of Principles ensured that both parties wouldn’t take advantage over the other, lead to maintaining their current relations
  • Oslo had a positive domino effect on the Arab-Israeli conflict
  • King Hussein: chance to improve relations with US, which was damaged because of Jordan’s alliance with Iraq during the Persian Gulf War
  • Hafez al-Assad : his reassessment to improve Syria-Israel relations
  • A preparation for final negotiations for borders and security of the Palestinian state, but there was still disagreement on Palestinian return to homeland and Jerusalem as ...

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