Palestinian Identity in the Aftermath of Oslo

This chapter discusses the negative impact of the Oslo Accords on Palestinians. Palestinians did not win political sovereignty, a stable national economy, or independent civil society organizations. Instead, Oslo imprisoned them with restraints they could not escape. In a recent article, journalist Ben White asks why there has been no Palestinian Spring despite the eruption of revolutions in several Arab countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria. He argues that the Oslo Accords froze the Palestinian struggle for return and decolonization. He identifies several factors that restrain the Palestinian revolutionary spirit, including the checkpoints established by the Israeli occupation, the strategic planning of Israeli settlements, and the “separation wall” that closes off Palestinian cities. White also notes that Oslo has shaped the behavior and direction of key political actors in the Occupied Territories who marked the shift from a revolutionary focus to that of “interim” autonomy.