Israel’ s road from peace to war

Sep 1993: U.S. President Bill Clinton (centre) brokers landmark peace agreement – Oslo Accords – between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization. PLO renounces terrorism, recognises Israel’s right to exist in peace and creation of Palestinian state alongside Israel. Handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left) and PLO’s Yasser Arafat (right) clinches deal


1994: Arafat, Rabin and Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres are awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Nov 1995: Rabin is assassinated by Jewish fanatic who opposes Oslo Accords and handing over control of parts of West Bank to Palestinians

1996: Palestinian general elections – part of Oslo Accords. Arafat is elected President of Palestinian Authority (PA)

1996-99: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (above) and right-wing Likud party takes power. Opposing Oslo Accords and creation of Palestinian state, Netanyahu expands Jewish settlements in West Bank

1998: President Clinton intervenes to save Accords. Peace talks between Netanyahu and Arafat result in Wye Memorandum. Deal, which includes placing two-fifths of West Bank under Palestinian control,
is opposed by right-wing Israelis

1999: Netanyahu suspends Wye Memorandum. Ariel Sharon (below) succeeds Netanyahu as Likud party leader

Sep 2000: Sharon stages provocative visit, surrounded by armed riot police, to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Visit outrages Palestinians and sparks second intifaḍa. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks grind to halt

2001: Sharon elected Israeli prime minister

2005: Mahmoud Abbas elected president of PA following death of Arafat. Sharon withdraws from Gaza Strip

2006: Administration of George W. Bush (above) insists on Palestinian elections. Vote brings Islamist Hamas to power

2007: Hamas takes power by force in Gaza Strip

2009: Netanyahu re-elected. Gives conditional support to independent Palestinian state while continuing to expand West Bank settlements

2018: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (above) appeals to Netanyahu to agree long-term truce. Netanyahu rejects truce

2020: President Donald Trump (above) moves U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump and Netanyahu forge Abraham Accords – normalising relations between Israel and Arab countries.
Accords ignore Israel–Palestine conflict

2021: U.S. President Joe Biden (below) backs Accords, despite warnings of conflict

May: Israel storms Al-Aqsa mosque, enraging Arab world. In retaliation, Mohammed Deif (below), commander of al-Qassam Brigades, and Sinwar, plan Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

Nov 2022: Netanyahu returns to power

Oct 7, 2023: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood launched


Sources: Foreign Policy, Project Syndicate, The Intercept, Times of Israel
Pictures: Asharq Al-Awsat, Getty Images
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