September 11, 2003 Accord Was to Ensure Jewish Majority The Oslo
agreement was the first agreement ever signed between the
Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO), intended to put an end to the national struggle that is
the heart of the larger Arab-Israeli conflict. The Olso
agreement was the natural continuation of the framework
agreements signed at the 1978 Camp David summit between Israeli
Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat, which also provided the basis for the 1991 Madrid
Conference. But, the talks that I initiated in Oslo contained
two unique elements: For the first time, the Palestinian partner
was clearly identified as the PLO, and the idea was proposed to
transfer to Palestinian control most of the Gaza Strip and the
Jericho area, even before elections were held for the
Palestinian Authority's legislative council and leadership. The
Oslo process was intended to save the Zionist enterprise before
Israel would control an area where the majority o