ABSTRACT
Making peace, raising questions On 9 September 1993, the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), agreed to recognize each other after 45 years of confl ict. Four days later, both parties signed a document known as the ‘Declaration of Principles’ (DOP) which would provide the framework for a comprehensive peace process. The document was signed by Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, and PLO Executive Council Member, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat looked on. It was a day that many observers of the confl ict thought would never come, and one that was celebrated enthusiastically. In fact, in 1994, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, and Shimon Peres were awarded the highest accolade for their attempts to make peace in the Middle East – the Nobel Peace Prize.
