Yair Hirschfeld
Encyclopedia
Dr. Yair Hirschfeld is an Israel
i lecturer at the University of Haifa
. A prominent academic in Israel, Dr. Hirschfeld was a key architect of the Oslo Accords
in 1993. He has been a strong supporter of the two-state solution
, and has urged the Palestinian National Authority
and Israel to accept some form of this solution.
In Benny Morris
' account, Hanan Ashrawi and Hirschfeld began maintaining back channels to the PLO's Faisal Husseini in 1989. Hirschfeld, at Ashrawi's suggestion, sought out a PLO finance minister by the name of Abu Alaa (Ahmed Qurei
). Through the Norwegians - including Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Egeland
and Rod Larsen of the Norwegian Institute of Applied Social Sciences - Hirschfeld had his first meeting with Abu Alaa in London on December 4, 1992.
On January 19, 1993 the Israeli Knesset repealed a law forbidding Israeli-PLO contacts. The next day Hirschfeld met Abu Alaa for the second time outside Oslo, accompanied by Israeli historian Ron Pundak
. With the approval of Peres' deputy the three meet in secret four more times. After the final meeting in May the agreement is passed to official channels, to become the "Declaration of Principles".
The first draft of the DOP laid out three basic terms: "Israel withdrawal from Gaza, gradual devolution of economic power to the Palestinians...and...international economic assistance to the nascent Palestinian entity in Gaza". It also included the "Gaza first" principle, according to which all stipulated Israeli concessions would be met in Gaza prior to any final settlement. By the final meeting it included elections, interim autonomy, and a handoff of power to the Palestinians, over the course of a gradual Israeli withdrawal. "Gaza first" also came to include some of the West Bank around Jericho.
Amid further indirect negotiations between the Israel and the PLO leadership in Tunis through Egyptian channels with mediation by Norway, the discussions that began between Hirschfeld and Alaa culminate in the beginnings of the Oslo peace process, when on August 20 Peres flies to Oslo - the entire process still unknown to the public - and initials the DOP.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i lecturer at the University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
. A prominent academic in Israel, Dr. Hirschfeld was a key architect of the Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
in 1993. He has been a strong supporter of the two-state solution
Two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the consensus solution that is currently under discussion by the key parties to the conflict, most recently at the Annapolis Conference in November 2007...
, and has urged the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
and Israel to accept some form of this solution.
In Benny Morris
Benny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
' account, Hanan Ashrawi and Hirschfeld began maintaining back channels to the PLO's Faisal Husseini in 1989. Hirschfeld, at Ashrawi's suggestion, sought out a PLO finance minister by the name of Abu Alaa (Ahmed Qurei
Ahmed Qurei
Ahmed Ali Mohammed Qurei , also known by his Arabic Kunya Abu Alaa is a former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority...
). Through the Norwegians - including Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Egeland
Jan Egeland
Jan Egeland was the United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator from June 2003 to December 2006. Egeland was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and succeeded Kenzo Oshima...
and Rod Larsen of the Norwegian Institute of Applied Social Sciences - Hirschfeld had his first meeting with Abu Alaa in London on December 4, 1992.
On January 19, 1993 the Israeli Knesset repealed a law forbidding Israeli-PLO contacts. The next day Hirschfeld met Abu Alaa for the second time outside Oslo, accompanied by Israeli historian Ron Pundak
Ron Pundak
Dr. Ron Pundak is an Israeli director of the Peres Center for Peace in Tel Aviv. He is on the Board of Driectors of the Aix Group. Ron Pundak is the son of Herbert Pundik, a notable journalist and author....
. With the approval of Peres' deputy the three meet in secret four more times. After the final meeting in May the agreement is passed to official channels, to become the "Declaration of Principles".
The first draft of the DOP laid out three basic terms: "Israel withdrawal from Gaza, gradual devolution of economic power to the Palestinians...and...international economic assistance to the nascent Palestinian entity in Gaza". It also included the "Gaza first" principle, according to which all stipulated Israeli concessions would be met in Gaza prior to any final settlement. By the final meeting it included elections, interim autonomy, and a handoff of power to the Palestinians, over the course of a gradual Israeli withdrawal. "Gaza first" also came to include some of the West Bank around Jericho.
Amid further indirect negotiations between the Israel and the PLO leadership in Tunis through Egyptian channels with mediation by Norway, the discussions that began between Hirschfeld and Alaa culminate in the beginnings of the Oslo peace process, when on August 20 Peres flies to Oslo - the entire process still unknown to the public - and initials the DOP.
External links
- James A. Baker III Institute - Yair Hirschfeld, PhD
- Israeli Arab Peace Making - Yair Hirschfeld, PhD
- Peace is only a question of time