The Oslo Accords
Upon signing the Oslo Accords in 1993, Israel, the EU and the US recognized Fatah as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian Arabs. In return, Yasser Arafat recognized the State of Israel and renounced terrorism. At the time, the accords were celebrated as an historic breakthrough. In accordance with these agreements, the Palestinian Arab refugees began to be governed by an autonomous Palestinian Authority, and the parties agreed to negotiate the permanent status of the refugees, as early as 1996. However, events have halted the phasing process and made the likelihood of a future sovereign Palestinian state uncertain. In another development, a rift developed between Fatah in the West-Bank and Hamas in Gaza after Hamas won the 2006 elections. Among other differences, Fatah officially recognizes the Oslo Accords with Israel, whereas Hamas does not.
Read more about this topic: Palestinian Refugee
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“It is not because the truth is too difficult to see that we make mistakes. It may even lie on the surface; but we make mistakes because the easiest and most comfortable course for us is to seek insight where it accords with our emotions—especially selfish ones.”
—Alexander Solzhenitsyn (b. 1918)