May 2001

In this paper Gershon Baskin shares his personal experience with the people involved in the Oslo process that started in 1993 with secret talks between Israel and the PLO and soon became a cycle of negotiations, suspension, mediation, restart of negotiations and suspension again. Gershon Baskin touches upon the agreements that were reached, until the Oslo process ended after the failure of the Camp David Summit in 2000 and the outbreak of the Second Intifada.

Gershon Baskin believe’s that the launching of the intifada was neither planned or strategically thought of by the Palestinian leadership – be it the PA or the Tanzim.  It was a series of events that developed rapidly, escalated and got out of control.  Decisions regarding its continuation and its course were made mostly following the events themselves. This paper is how Gershon thinks it unfolded.