Following the signing of the Oslo accords by Israel and the PLO at the
White House in September 1993, expectations
were high for the peace
process in the Middle East. In this collection of essays, Edward Said,
a Columbia University professor, draws attention to shortcomings in the
agreements. He argues that careful study of the documents would have
shown the ensuing high hopes were unwarranted.From his
perspective, the imbalance of power between Israel and the PLO did not
augur well for a successful outcome for the accords. Compounding that
situation was the fact that details still had to be worked out
concerning such sensitive issues as the handling of refugees, the
status of Jerusalem, the delineation of borders, the provision of
water, and determination of monetary compensation to be paid. .Said
helps readers to understand the context in which the negotiations
between Israel and the PLO were taking place at the time. He zeroes in
on such concerns as the expansion of Israeli settlements, the corrupt
administration of PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and a less than full
appreciation of the Palestinians’ desire for self-determination.As Said sees it, peaceful coexistence can take place in the Middle East, once Israelis and Palestinians are treated equally.