The Peace Process and the Palestinian Political Landscape

Abstract

This article examines forces and events that have influenced the Palestinian political landscape over the past two decades, focusing, among other things, on the failure of the peace process and its effect on the changing relations among political elites and trends in the Palestinian occupied territories. While reflecting on the prospects for peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians, from the start of the 1987 Intifada until the eruption of the second Intifada in 2000, this article will highlight factors that have contributed to the collapse of the Oslo Accords, the Camp David II Summit and the Road Map formula. The obstacles that have generally caused the failure of these peace plans include the continuation of Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories, the U.S.s credibility problem in the region and the growing corruption attributed to the Palestinian Authority.