Old Newscast: The Oslo Accords, 1993 (Part 2) — Detailed Episode Summary

Podcast: Newscast
Host: Adam Fleming (with Jane Corbyn and Lyse Doucet)
Episode Date: August 16, 2025
Topic: What Undermined the Oslo Peace Process — Settlements, Violence, and Shifting Politics

Overview

This episode is a deep dive into the unraveling of hope that followed the 1993 Oslo Accords—the much-heralded peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Host Adam Fleming, joined by veteran correspondents Jane Corbyn and Lyse Doucet, traces pivotal moments after the famous White House handshake. The discussion focuses on Arafat’s return to Gaza, the rising tensions from Jewish settlers, Palestinian opposition groups like Hamas, the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, suicide bombings, political changes in Israel, and the missed opportunities that followed. The episode carefully examines how a breakthrough moment for peace dissolved into renewed mistrust and violence, setting the region on a difficult path that continues today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Hopeful Homecoming: Arafat Returns (00:55 - 09:57)

• Jane Corbyn recounts traveling with Yasser Arafat as he returns to Gaza in July 1994 after 27 years in exile.
  • “I have never seen crowds like this.” (Jane Corbyn, 04:16)
• Palestinian flags wave amidst chaos and excitement; forbidden under Israeli occupation, their public display marks a historic shift.
• Arafat is quoted:
  • “I come with the peace of the brave.” (Yasser Arafat, 06:47)
• Lyse Doucet describes the emotional resonance felt by Palestinian refugees watching from Amman:
  • “They were crying because they also dared to believe that for all of the imperfections of this deal, that it... would mean they would go home.” (Lyse Doucet, 11:09)
• There is widespread hope among Palestinians and many Israelis, but also intense protest and anxiety, particularly among Jewish settlers.

New Realities and Growing Dissent—Settlements and Security (12:19 - 14:48)

• Settlers were angry and protested Arafat’s return; their numbers were much lower than today but still significant (100,000 then, over 700,000 now on West Bank and East Jerusalem).
  • “They were not the force they have since become, but they were still a force to be reckoned with. And they were angry, very, very angry.” (Jane Corbyn, 12:25)
• Rabin and Peres lead a strong peace movement alongside powerful opposition from right-wing and nationalist Israeli groups.

Oslo’s Fragile Foundations—Area A, B, and C (15:41 - 17:58)

• Agreement to divide the West Bank for phased autonomy: Area A (Palestinian control), Area B (shared), Area C (total Israeli control).
  • Lyse Doucet: “The B area was where Palestinians would have civilian control, but the Israelis would control security. And area C... controlled exclusively by Israel.” (16:38)
• Arafat's frustration: “It’s like a Swiss cheese... we will never have contiguous territory.” (Yasser Arafat via Jane Corbyn, 17:58)
• Both sides show signs of disappointment and growing mistrust.

The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin—A Turning Point (19:06 - 24:09)

• Lyse Doucet recounts being present the night of the assassination in November 1995 after a peace rally in Tel Aviv:
  • “Suddenly a little note comes up. Shooting at the, the rally.... Rabin’s been shot.” (Lyse Doucet, 20:55)
• News breaks across Israel and the world, signaling a catastrophic blow to the peace process.
  • “The night Yitzhak Rabin was killed was the night Oslo was killed.” (Lyse Doucet, 22:39)
• Jane Corbyn recalls: “Uri said to me, ‘It’s over. Everything we did, it’s over.’” (Jane Corbyn, 22:44)
• The assassin, Yigal Amir, is an Israeli right-wing extremist, not a Palestinian.

Politics Shift: Netanyahu, Violence, and Eroding Trust (24:09 - 31:16)

• Benjamin Netanyahu and the right surge; peace negotiator Shimon Peres is less trusted than Rabin.

• Rise of Hamas and other militant groups:

  • After a series of suicide bombings, Israeli public support for the peace process and for Peres collapses.
  • Notable bombings include attacks on the Jaffa Road in Jerusalem—one right outside the BBC office (Lyse Doucet, 25:50).
  • Mastermind behind many attacks: Mohammed Deif, still a major figure in the present conflict.

• Massive expansion of Israeli settlements (incentives for young Israelis, particularly under Likud’s government).

  • “... offered at cut prices and swimming pools and everything to young Israelis who would move from areas like Tel Aviv ... that's when the number of Israelis really began exponentially to rise on the West Bank.” (Jane Corbyn, 30:03)

Missed Final Opportunities—Camp David 2000 & Aftermath (33:00 - 37:12)

• At the end of Clinton’s presidency, another summit (Camp David) fails due to intractable issues like Jerusalem.
  • Lyse Doucet: “The phrase which came out afterwards … ‘We offered you 95% and you said no.’” (Lyse Doucet, 34:04)
• Both sides feel betrayed and embittered, leading to the outbreak of the Second Intifada—“even more violent and difficult and bloody than the first.” (Jane Corbyn, 36:26)
• The cycle of violence continues, hope fades; Hamas gains strength as the PLO weakens.

Reflections—The State That Never Was (37:12 - End)

• Adam Fleming draws a line from Oslo to current two-state solution discussions, emphasizing today’s hope rests on the blueprint first signed in 1993.
  • “The blueprint for that is what you were witnessing being signed in 1993.” (Adam Fleming, 37:12)
• Lyse Doucet recalls Gaza’s brief taste of statehood, like its international airport, emphasizing how close and yet how far the dream remained.
  • “We went to the international airport and said, so what are the flights you offer? ... the mood there was that they were getting ready for the state...” (Lyse Doucet, 37:44)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Yasser Arafat on returning to Gaza:
  “Now I am returning to the free, to the first free Palestinian land. You have to imagine how it is moving my heart, my feelings.” (Arafat, 05:25)
• Jane Corbyn on the significance of Gaza:
  “Gaza was the important thing. And sadly today we understand that Gaza still is the nub of the question and the most difficult problem of all.” (Jane Corbyn, 09:41)
• Lyse Doucet on the shattering of hope:
  “The night Yitzhak Rabin was killed was the night Oslo was killed.” (Lyse Doucet, 22:39)
• Jane Corbyn on Rabin’s murder:
  “The irony… it was an Israeli right winger who shot him. Not… Hamas or a Palestinian… with disastrous consequences.” (Jane Corbyn, 23:29)
• Lyse Doucet on Israeli and Palestinian reactions:
  “Many of my Israeli friends who had embraced the Oslo Accords… after those years… wanted separation, instead of peace—just get out of our lives.” (Lyse Doucet, 34:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Arafat’s Homecoming: 02:18 – 09:57
• Settler Protests & Israeli Political Landscape: 12:19 – 14:48
• Oslo II & Division of the West Bank: 15:41 – 17:58
• Assassination of Rabin: 19:06 – 24:09
• Hamas, Suicide Bombings, Israeli Politics Shift: 25:12 – 31:16
• Settlement Expansion & Palestinian Reaction: 31:16 – 33:00
• Camp David 2000 & Second Intifada: 33:15 – 37:12
• Final Reflections—Lost Statehood: 37:12 – 38:40

Tone and Style

The conversation is rich in first-hand reportage, emotional reflection, and historical insights, blending journalistic rigor with the intimacy of personal memory. The tone is thoughtful, often poignant, balancing cautious nostalgia with clear-eyed analysis of why the Oslo dream has so painfully unraveled. The use of direct quotes and vivid description—crowds waving forbidden flags, journalists scrambling as news breaks, a bombed bus outside a correspondent’s window—draws the listener into the lived experience of history.

Conclusion

This episode illuminates not only the political milestones and missteps of the Oslo era but also the human highs and lows that accompanied them. It is a chronicle of hope, betrayal, violence, and the everyday choices that shaped history. The legacy of Oslo, as the hosts argue, continues to define debates about peace—its success and its tragedy echoing down the decades.