State Making and Unmaking

Oslo and state-making

• The Accords increased the “stateness” of the PLO

• The Accords were an instrument of Israeli state policy (mamlakhtiyut?)

Oslo could be unpopular

• Limited Palestinian labor flow into Israel

• Precluded Israelis from “the Land of Israel”– Strategic issues: PLO plans? – Religious issues in the West Bank

• Precluded Palestinians from “Historic Palestine”– Was Gaza economically viable?– What about the right of return and the Haram?

Could violence disrupt Oslo?

• Baruch Goldstein murders 29 worshipping in the Ibrahimiyya Mosque in February 1994

Why Hebron/Khalil?

A Microcosm of the issues

• Hebron/Khalil– “Second holiest” city in Judaism and site of

cave purchased by Abraham for his tomb– Muslims accept Jewish patriarchs as their

own prophets– Prayer halls for Jews and Muslims– Jewish settlers both around and within Hebron

demand constant IDF support– Khalil inhabitants fear loss of control

Palestinian responses to violence

• Fatah preferred to accept the idea that Goldstein was a lone actor

• Hamas “seized the initiative”– Suicide bombings at Afula and Hadera

terminals in Israel in April• Undermines PLO’s “armed struggle” claim• Makes the conflict a “rational” one of violence

between communities

– Taking Israeli soldier hostage and more bombings in October (in Tel Aviv)

Weakened position of Rabin

• Could Israel control the settlers or did the settlers now control Israel (reversal of Altalena)?

• Could the Labour government keep Israelis safe?

• Was the Labour government going to make a historic compromise?

The Interim Agreements—Oslo 2

• Extended some specific areas of Palestinian control within Area A enhancing Arafat’s power

• Reduced Palestinian influence and mobility in Areas C

• Created modalities for PA and Israel to interact economically, politically and strategically

Breakup of Israeli politics

• Collapse of Soviet Union meant a large stream of new immigrants: Russian as a third language: Yisrael Beitenu?

• Emergence of Shas instead of Likud as the voice of Mizrahi Jews

• Emergence of more religious politics• Sharper conflict between Land and State

of Israel followers as Labour begins to fall apart

Assassination of Rabin

• Attacks on Rabin as traitor

• Jewish “fatwas”?

• Rabin’s desire to temporize

• November 4 1995: the end of the peace process at the hand of Yigal Amir?