Oslo Agreement Mona

The Oslo Agreement, also known as the Oslo Accords, was a historic agreement between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed on September 13, 1993. The agreement was named after the city where the negotiations took place, Oslo, Norway. One of the key figures involved in the negotiations was Mona Juul, then a diplomat with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mona Juul played a crucial role in facilitating the talks between the two sides. She was one of the few people who had direct access to both Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and was able to establish a rapport with them, which helped in bridging the gaps between the two sides. In an interview with the New Yorker in 2018, she recollected how she would often shuttle between the Israelis and the Palestinians with proposals and counterproposals.

The Oslo Agreement was aimed at achieving a comprehensive peace settlement between Israel and Palestine that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The agreement consisted of two main components – the Declaration of Principles (DOP) and the Interim Agreement.

The DOP set out the principles for a permanent settlement, while the Interim Agreement provided for a five-year transitional period during which Israel would withdraw its troops from parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians would establish a self-governing authority with limited powers. The agreement also provided for the establishment of a joint Israeli-Palestinian committee to oversee and implement the agreed-upon measures.

While the Oslo Agreement was initially hailed as a breakthrough, it failed to achieve its goals. The five-year transitional period ended without a permanent settlement, and the peace process has since stalled. The failure of the agreement has been attributed to various factors, including the failure of both sides to adhere to the agreed-upon measures, the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (who was a strong proponent of the agreement) in 1995, and the rise of militant groups like Hamas.

However, the Oslo Agreement remains significant as it was the first time that the Israeli government recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people, and it paved the way for subsequent peace negotiations.

In conclusion, the Oslo Agreement was a landmark agreement that aimed at achieving lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. Mona Juul played a key role in facilitating the negotiations, and while the agreement ultimately failed to achieve its goals, it remains significant as a first step towards peace.