MEMO to host 'Oslo at 25' conference in Euston, London

Twenty-five-years ago, when Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) signed the Oslo Accords, they were considered an important political breakthrough for Palestine that would oversee the transition of Palestine under occupation to a viable Palestinian state.

A quarter of a decade on there is no Palestinian state and the seven permanent status issues including Jerusalem and the right of return are yet to be negotiated. The Palestinian Authority, which was created under Oslo, was supposed to oversee the transition yet today is considered by many Palestinians as complicit in Israel’s occupation.

Why has the Oslo peace process continued for so long with no tangible success? What is next for the peace process? These are questions MEMO’s upcoming conference “Oslo at 25: A Legacy of Broken Promises” seeks to address.

Among the guests are Virginia Tilley, who co-authored an ESCWA report with Richard Falk calling Israel an apartheid state. Along with Dr Jeremy Wildeman and Wadah Khanfar, Tilley will look at life for Palestinians under Oslo’s dual legal system.

Final opportunity to register for Middle East Monitor conference: ‘Oslo at 25: A legacy of broken promises’ 

Joining us to discuss how the negotiations began and Oslo’s approach to the permanent status issues are Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Professor Illan Pappe, Rt Hon. Clare Short, Karen AbuZayd and Sir Richard Dalton.

Since the iconic handshake that marked the start of the accords on the White House lawn in 1993 the Wye River Memorandum, the Camp David Summit and the Roadmap for Peace have all attempted to kick start the peace process.

Son-in-law and advisor of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, is the latest to try his hand at peace but has only succeeded in confirming that the US is an unfair broker in favour of a deal on Israeli terms, rather than the understanding the needs and concerns of the Palestinian people.

With Oslo the beginning of a trail of unsuccessful peace processes, many observers have noted that the 93 accords did not die – they were never supposed to work.

“We hope that the results of our conference will resound in every corridor of power and influence every channel of public opinion,” says Director of MEMO, Dr. Daud Abdullah.

For minute-by-minute coverage of the event follow our live blog here or on Twitter using the hashtag #Oslo25.