Peace and coexistence

Key tags: Camp David, Jordan agreement, Oslo agreement, Abraham accords

Israel’s foreign relations are influenced primarily by the strategic situation in the Middle East. On its establishment, the newborn state of Israel was rejected by all regional States and Muslim countries. Wars to eliminate the Jewish state were waged by neighbouring states in 1948-9, 1967, and 1973.

Commencing in the 1920s but prevalent especially since the 1960s, terror attacks have been the prevalent form of force used to coerce the Jewish populace into political submission. In contrast, Jewish private, societal, and governmental initiatives have been launched in order to promote co-existence.

Application to Israel

Today, Israel has full diplomatic relations with two of its Arab neighbors, Egypt and Jordan, after signing peace treaties with them, in 1979 and 1994, respectively. The Camp David Accords of 1979 between Egypt and Israel formed an agreement for which Israel surrendered the Sinai desert, an area three times the geographical size of Israel. In 1994, the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty was signed, addressing land and water disputes, tourism and trade, and obligating both countries to prevent their territory from being used as a staging ground for military strikes by a third country. Even though the agreements have held steady for several decades, they are termed “cold” peace, as there is little contact between the countries and there are recurring sources of tension between them.

Another major milestone was the signing in the early 1990s of the Oslo Accords. They are a series of agreements that created the Palestinian Authority (“PA”) and by which Israel recognized the “legitimate rights” of the “Palestinian people” concerning self-determination. Many issues were meant to be resolved under permanent status negotiations envisioned by the Oslo Accords, however, progress has been minimal.

The PA has unilaterally pursued international recognition of statehood outside of negotiations, principally through the UN. Although peace talks under the Oslo Accords have stagnated, agreements between the parties remain the necessary way to peace. Thus, the influence of international resolutions or decisions is indeterminate.

In 2020, Israel signed agreements establishing diplomatic relations with three Arab League countries, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. The agreements were facilitated by the U.S. Administration and called the ‘Abraham Accords’. Their premise is that diplomacy and communication would further stability and prosperity in the region. The recent normalization agreements indicate that a growing number of states prefer to switch to a more pragmatic partnership with Israel.

Search

Filters

Themes
Select
Themes
Information type
Select
Information type
30 years after Oslo
ahmed-abu-hameeda-D9lCSvUcErk-unsplash
The Oslo tragedy 
brett-jordan-LPZy4da9aRo-unsplash
thinc.Bulletin - August 2023
toa-heftiba-QUeJRmJTzT0-unsplash
Let the Nations Ascend to Jerusalem
tingey-injury-law-firm-yCdPU73kGSc-unsplash
Recent developments in lawfare
brett-jordan-LPZy4da9aRo-unsplash
thinc.Bulletin - July 2023
6982134155_98d6a8c896_k
Three reasons Australia should help protect the International Court of Justice
brett-jordan-LPZy4da9aRo-unsplash
thinc.Bulletin - June 2023
Illegal-Israeli-settlement-
The two-state solution - CBN news
IMG_0483
Israel on Trial Conference - Media
tingey-injury-law-firm-yCdPU73kGSc-unsplash
Don’t politicize the World Court just to trash Israel
Video Thumbnail: Gregory Rose - 'Israel on Trial' Conference March 2023
The United Nations, international law and “lawfare”
brett-jordan-LPZy4da9aRo-unsplash
thinc.Bulletin - May 2023 (B)
IMG_0428
Israel and the UN: how the UN works, and how and why Israel is marginalized
6982134155_98d6a8c896_k
The ICJ, Israel and the request for an Advisory Opinion
brett-jordan-LPZy4da9aRo-unsplash
thinc.Bulletin - May 2023 (A)
ux-gun-5Mj4PO7KIFc-unsplash
Successes and Failures in Israel's Multifront Wars
tomas-eidsvold-TDBJpAX_nI0-unsplash
Israel is on Trial in the UN – is there a case for the defense?
christian-lue-MZWBMNP7Nro-unsplash
The Road to Peace: a critical look at the EU's two-state policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash
Two states for two peoples? | Webinar