The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

The continuous official Israeli pronouncements and rhetoric about “terror”
were also strange. Demonstrations took place, but fatalities remained
the same compared to previous years. There may have been many more
non-fatal violent attacks. However, it was in the interests of Israel to
downplay the Intifada, since the more publicity it got, the more it seemed
that the Palestinian “David” was successfully challenging the Israeli
“Goliath.” The large number of Palestinian fatalities brought UN condem -
nation during very early stage in the Intifada. It helped to draw world attention
to the Palestinian plight and created a growing anti-Israel and
anti-occupation lobby around the world.
The Oslo Process
The Gulf War, the collapse of the USSR and international pressure helped
pave the way for an international conference for peace, the Madrid
Conference (1991). Between 1993 and 1995, Israel and the PLO signed
the Oslo Interim Agreement (Oslo II), which created the Palestinian National
Authority (1994). The agreement led to the withdrawal of Israeli
military force from Gaza and from most cities of the West Bank by 1996.
The West Bank, according to the agreement, was divided into three categories,
with different levels of civil and military control by Israel.
Alongside the political process, Israel not only continued, but accelerated
the settlement programme, building thousands of housing units in the
West Bank, and doubling the number of settlers there by 2004.
Though both sides agreed to forego violence, attacks on settlers contin -
ued and the Israeli army continued arresting and harassing Palestinians.
In February 1994, an extremist settler from Hebron opened fire on worshippers
in the Cave of Abraham and killed thirty people before being
killed by the survivors.
The general shock and anger among many Israelis was a rare opportunity
to evacuate the extremist settlers of Hebron. Rabin, the then prime min -
ister, hesitated. The Hamas movement used this massacre as an excuse
to carry out several suicide attacks in city centres in Israel. The
peace process became increasingly unpopular in Israel. On the evening
of November 5, 1995, Rabin was assassinated. The same morning, a
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