test
Search publications, data, projects and authors

Thesis

French

ID: <

10670/1.cb9vh3

>

Where these data come from
Building an opposition and creating a third way : how the PLO’s leftist factions faced Oslo (1993-2006)

Abstract

The present work analyses the political role played by the leftist factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), from the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) in September 1993 – more commonly known as the Oslo accords –, to the legislative elections of January 2006. By focusing on the heretofore neglected political left, this study contributes to a more complete political history of the period. It complements an existing literature on the Palestinian leadership, embodied by the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on the one hand, and the Islamist opposition movements on the other.Drawing on fresh documentary evidence, this work on the leftist factions expands our understanding of Palestinian politics by examining three key issues that have been little – if at all – explored: the discussions of the Palestinian National Dialogue; the unification initiatives of the leftist factions and the PLO’s reform debate. This research work also reconstructs the activities of these factions as they grappled with the radically new political situation produced by the Oslo accords. The creation of a Palestinian Authority, which competed with the representative role played by the PLO, has notably upset the political logic, the power architecture and the nationalist objectives set by the national movement, which now oscillates between liberation and state-building. Between staunch opposition to the agreements and their consequences, and adaptation to a political reality that had become unavoidable, the leftist factions tried to provide a political response that would distinguish them both from Fatah and from the Islamist movements.Between 1993 and 2006, the leftist factions tried several political initiatives, including unification, coalition and creation of political platforms. However, due to the hegemony of Fatah, competition from Hamas and weakness in their own party structures and political programs, the leftist factions were ultimately unable to propose a third way. The victory of Hamas in the 2006 legislative elections evinced this failure and made the political landscape increasingly polarized, confirming the political marginalization of leftist factions.

Your Feedback

Please give us your feedback and help us make GoTriple better.
Fill in our satisfaction questionnaire and tell us what you like about GoTriple!