ABSTRACT
Yitzhak Rabin's willingness to explore the Oslo channel derived in part from his analysis of international and regional changes resulting from the end of the Cold War and the political shifts caused by the Gulf War. On the other hand, the Gulf War drastically weakened Israel's most powerful foe, Iraq, and crippled its nascent nuclear capability; buried the myth of a united Arab political front and left the radical Arab camp in disarray. And demonstrated that the United States, Israel's patron and the world's only post-Cold War superpower, would intervene in the Middle East to protect its vital interests. The war also proved to be a catastrophe for the Palestinians. Financial and political support for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from the Gulf states dried up after Yasser Arafat threw his support behind Saddam Hussein. Despite dipping into its reserves, the PLO had to close many of its offices and cut back on service.
