Is the Oslo process really over?
The Palestinian Central Council announced the end of security cooperation with Israel, though many are skeptical that the decision will be implemented.
A headline featured on the website of Al-Quds, a Palestinian daily, was very clear: “The decision of the Palestinian Central Council means the end of the Oslo era.” The headline was taken from a quote by council member Mustafa Barghouti of Al-Mubadara Party, following the conclusion of the council's two-day meeting March 5.
But did the Palestinian Central Council really end the 1993 memorandum of understanding between Israel and the PLO, which is commonly referred to as the basis of the Oslo Accord?
The fifth clause of the council’s recent communique comprises six points and deals with Palestine's relationship with Israel. The first point states that “Israel will be held responsible for the welfare of the Palestinian people as an occupying power according to international law.” The resolution's most important point follows, calling for the “end of security coordination, in all its forms, with the Israeli occupying authorities, in light of its failure to adhere to the agreements signed between both parties.”
Political analyst Hossam Ezzedine told Al-Monitor that the statement regarding the "end of security coordination" should not be taken too seriously. “The aim of the resolution is to warn Israel that the Palestinian side will begin the process of separation from the relationship that has been ongoing with the occupiers since the signing of the Oslo Accord,” he said.
