ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the stages of opening political space to the Palestinians by examining the goals, discourse, and actions of the various participants, both supporters and opponents. Upon winning the election, Rabin undertook the political course that came to be known as the “Oslo Process.” One salient characteristic of this process was the centralized decision-making of the leader, in contrast with the democratization and opening of political space that brought him to power. This is explained by the internal contradiction of the dual regime of control – and the desire to maintain it while a permanent agreement was not yet in place.
