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Carol Migdalovitz, Congressional Research Service
Updated August 8, 2003

Middle East Peace Talks

The end of the Cold War, the decline of the Soviet Union, and the U.S.-led victory in the Gulf war facilitated the beginning of a new peace process in 1991. Israel and the Palestinians discussed a 5-year period of interim self-rule leading to a final settlement. Israel and Syria discussed Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights in exchange for peace. Israel and Jordan discussed relations. Israel and Lebanon focused on Israel’s withdrawal from its self-declared security zone in south Lebanon and reciprocal Lebanese actions.

On September 13, 1993, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed a Declaration of Principles (DOP), providing for Palestinian empowerment and some territorial control. Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty agenda on September 14, 1993; Prime Minister Rabin and King Hussein affirmed the end of the state of belligerency between Israel and Jordan on July 25, 1994, and signed a Peace Treaty on October 26. Israel and the Palestinians signed an Interim Self-Rule in the West Bank/Oslo II accord on September 28, 1995. Israel continued implementing it despite the November 4 assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. Israel suspended talks with Syria after terror attacks in February/March 1996. They resumed in December 1999, but were “post-poned indefinitely” after January 2000.  

A January 1997 protocol produced Israeli redeployment from Hebron. An October 15- 23, 1998, summit resulted in the Wye River Memorandum on implementation of earlier agreements. On September 4, 1999, Israeli Prime Minister Barak and Palestinian leader Arafat signed the Sharm al-Shaykh Memorandum on implementing Wye. Israel withdrew from south Lebanon on May 24, 2000. From July 11-24, President Clinton held a summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders at Camp David to reach a framework accord, but they did not succeed. A Palestinian uprising or intifadah began in September. Presi-dent Clinton presented bridging proposals in December.

  Ariel Sharon was elected Prime Minister of Israel on February 6, 2001. He said that the results of Camp David and subsequent talks were null and void. The international war against terrorism after September 11, 2001 prompted renewed U.S. focus on resuming the peace process. On June 24, 2002, President Bush declared, “peace requires new and different Palestinian leadership so that a Palestinian state can be born.” The United States, the U.N., European Union, and Russia (the Quartet) developed a “road map” to Palestinian statehood within three years, and presented it on April 30, 2003, after a new Palestinian government was installed. On June 3 and 4, President Bush held summits in Red Sea cities to move the peace process forward. On June 29, three terrorist groups declared a cease-fire, and Israeli forces then withdrew from Gaza and Bethlehem. Violence has decreased markedly. Congress is interested in the peace talks because of its oversight role in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, its support for Israel, and keen constituent interest. It is concerned about U.S. financial and other commitments and Palestinian fulfillment of commitments.

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