ABSTRACT
As we saw in the previous chapter, Israel’s policies towards the West Bank and Gaza resulted primarily from the interaction of four factional positions. Ultimately, the outcome of these interactions was – perhaps not surprisingly – that of the status quo. This was, as Israelis claimed, inevitable due to the absence of any single Arab partner with which to negotiate. All in all, Israelis had not attached much importance historically to the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza and indeed they underestimated their ability to take the initiative in terms of a peace settlement.1 In fact, the general perception in Israel was that Palestinians were either pro-PLO or pro-Jordan and they were, therefore, seen to have no political clout of their own. This is important to understand since the eruption and persistence of the Palestinian Intifada in December 1987 came as a surprise and shock not just to Israeli politicians but also to the Israeli population. Indeed, every other actor in the region engaged in the conflict was equally surprised, including – somewhat ironically given Israeli perceptions – Jordan and the PLO.
