According to the popular narrative surrounding the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), some of sort of fully functioning, internationally recognized Palestinian state should have been established over two decades ago. The Declaration of Principles signed in 1993 explicitly mandated a transitional “interim period” not to exceed five years, setting May 1999 as the strict deadline for a permanent-status agreement covering Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, and borders. Yet a meticulous examination of the text reveals a structural paradox at the very heart of Oslo: while the diplomatic marketing and global expectations framed the process as a march toward eventual Palestinian statehood, the word “state” does not appear once in the agreements—substituting sovereign independence with vague language about “interim self-government.” 33 years later we ended up with much bloodier, brutal and wider occupation than it was when Oslo was signed. 

Instead of a bridge to incremental steps toward full independence, Oslo established a permanent interim administration, the Palestinian Authority (PA), whose powers were systematically eroded by Israel until making it an empty shell. Now The PA has evolved into a third hand of the Israeli occupation it was supposed to gradually end.

Instead of a bridge to incremental steps toward full independence, Oslo established a permanent interim administration, the Palestinian Authority (PA), whose powers were systematically eroded by Israel until making it an empty shell. Now The PA has evolved into a third hand of the Israeli occupation it was supposed to gradually end.

It functions as a security subcontractor tasked with suppressing local Palestinian resistance to protect the very forces colonising its land. Rather than fostering democratic statehood or focusing on ending the occupation—at least within its own administered areas—the PA’s administrative........

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