Collective Identity of Palestinians in Israel after Oslo

Abstract

Based on two survey studies, conducted by the author on Palestinian students from Israel in 1988 and 2003, and on findings of other empirical studies, this paper examines the effect of Oslo Agreement, signed in September 1993 by the PLO and the Israeli Government, on collective identity of Palestinians in Israel. The paper shows that, while Palestinian identity remained after Oslo much stronger than Israeli identity, the former had been, to some extent, weakened and the latter had been, to some extent, strengthened, especially during the first few years after Oslo. This happened, primarily, as a result of the fact that Oslo Agreement had ignored totally the Palestinians in Israel, and, thus, affirmed their current political status as a part of the state of Israel.