Oslo's Jewish Rejectionists Are in Power – and Closer to a Greater Israel Than Ever Before

Susie Gelman, Haaretz; original article contains links and additional illustrations

Today, the most strident Israeli and American opposers of Oslo, from Netanyahu to Kushner and Friedman, have the upper hand. Sometimes making the comparison between peacemakers and Nazi collaborators, they are busy translating their 'vision' into reality

Image from article, with caption: US ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greet each other on stage during the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018

Excerpt:

Twenty-five years ago - September 13, 1993 - I was on the White House lawn to witness the historic handshake between Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin and President Yasser Arafat. The beautiful, sunny day enhanced the optimistic mood of the occasion. It's painful to think of the euphoria then - and the loss of life, expectations and achievements since.

It is no secret that the Oslo Accords were not the resounding success their architects envisioned. After all, a five-year interim agreement should not continue to be the foundation for Israeli-Palestinian relations 25 years later, and yet, here we are. ...

The introspective moments that accompany an event like Oslo’s silver jubilee will raise many other worthwhile questions. However, a fair assessment must recognize that there were always strident and influential people who worked to defeat Oslo and its promise of peace. Today, these detractors have the upper hand. ...

Their talking points inform official Israeli public diplomacy [JB emphasis]. The leaders of their movement hold influence, even government positions, in Israel and in the United States. Their vision of a Greater Israel stretching from the Mediterranean from the Jordan appears ever closer to realization.

Oslo’s boldest opponents are not skeptics embittered by the suicide bombings from rejectionist Palestinian terror groups. They did not give up on land for peace after the Gaza disengagement. They are ideologues who reject ceding territory on principle. ...