Majority Of Palestinians Sour On Oslo Accords, Oppose President Trump’s Peace Push

A new survey conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center found that a majority of Palestinians have soured on the 1993 Oslo Accords signed with Israel and oppose U.S. President Donald Trump’s yet-unveiled peace plan. Asked about the landmark agreement forged 25 years ago between then-Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and former Palestine Liberation Organization boss Yassir Arafat, more than 60 percent of respondents said they oppose the deal—up from 48% in March 2013—compared to 24% who still support the initiative. Only 12% of Palestinians believe the pact has served their national interests. As regards the White House’s 18 months-in-the-making peace plan, more than 80% of Palestinians doubt that the American proposal will produce anything positive. As a corollary, over 60% of Palestinians expressed support for Ramallah’s bid to internationalize the negotiating process by rejecting the U.S.’ historical role as sole mediator between the sides. The poll nonetheless found that nearly half of Palestinians are in favor of renewing peace talks with Israel, while 46% rejects any such engagement.