Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords are a set of agreements between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Oslo in 1993 and the Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba in 1995.

The Oslo Accords mark the start of the Oslo process, a peace process that is aimed at achieving a peace-treaty based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 and 338, and to fulfill the "right of the Palestinian people to self-determination".

The Oslo process starts after secret negotiations in Oslo, resulting in the recognition by the PLO of the State of Israel and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in negotiations.The Oslo Accords creates the Palestinian Authority, whose functions are the limited self-governance over parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and, it acknowledges that the PLO is now Israel's partner in permanent status negotiations about the remaining issues.

The most important issues are the borders of Israel and Palestine, the Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, the question of Israel's military presence in and control over Palestine after the recognition of the Palestinian state by Israel, and the Palestinian right of return.

The Oslo Accords, however, fall short of the promise of a Palestinian state.