33 years since Oslo: Shimon Peres has no heir, and Israel is paying the price - opinion

33 years after Oslo and 10 years after Shimon Peres's death, Avi Gil argues that while the Oslo Accords collapsed, their core Zionist logic remains valid: Israel cannot permanently rule millions of Palestinians and remain Jewish and democratic. He calls for setting permanent borders now, leveraging Trump's presidency, without yet determining the political character of the territory beyond.

This opinion piece by Avi Gil, former director-general of the Foreign Ministry, marks the 33rd anniversary of the Oslo Accords and the 10th anniversary of Shimon Peres's death. Gil argues that while Oslo collapsed due to Hamas terrorism, Palestinian leadership impotence, settlement expansion, and Israeli governments that strengthened Hamas, its core Zionist logic remains valid: Israel cannot permanently rule millions of Palestinians and remain both Jewish and democratic. He calls for separating two questions: what Israel's permanent borders should be, and what the character of the entity beyond them should be. The first requires urgent resolution, the second can wait. Gil advocates for setting a sovereignty border now, leveraging the Trump presidency as a historic opportunity to secure American and Arab acceptance of favorable terms, including major settlement blocs under Israeli sovereignty. He distinguishes between a sovereignty border and a security border, suggesting the 1967 lines with land swaps remain the baseline. Such a move could expand the Abraham Accords, bring peace with Saudi Arabia, and weaken Iran. Gil concludes that no current Israeli leader is willing to fight for a political alternative to occupation, meaning Shimon Peres has no heir.