As Israel marks two years since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre and holds its breath amid ongoing talks for a deal that could see the release of the hostages still held in Gaza, former government Minister Yossi Beilin — one of the architects of the 1993 Oslo Accords — accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of causing Israel's deepening international isolation and military quagmire in the Gaza Strip. 

"Netanyahu himself, much more than his extremist partners, is responsible for the catastrophe Israel is currently undergoing," Beilin told Al-Monitor in an interview.

A longtime associate of late President Shimon Peres, Beilin was tapped as deputy foreign minister after the 1992 election in which Peres served as the nation's top diplomat. In that capacity, Beilin was one of the main negotiators and architects of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Over the years, he served in several ministerial positions and later led the leftwing Meretz party. In 2015, he called for the establishment of a joint Israeli-Palestinian confederation, an initiative he has been promoting since with Palestinian activist Hiba Husseini.

The following interview with Beilin was edited for length and clarity.