The Process: 1,100 Days that Changed the Middle East

The director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, who also served as his nation's chief representative in the secret negotiations that led to the Oslo peace accord between Israel and the PLO, offers his insider's account of how the historic agreement came about.

"I believe," Savir writes at the fiftieth anniversary of his homeland's founding, "that for all it has achieved, the Oslo process is the true test of [Israel's] maturity as a strong modern nation able to coexist with former enemies." It was also a test of the ability of Israelis to coexist amongst themselves; Savir brings a valuable perspective on the rivalry between Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin (and how it affected their efforts to unite Israel for peace) and the efforts of opposition leaders to thwart settlement. He takes us throught the peace process step by step, explaining precisely what was achieved to ensure, in the words of his negotiating partner, Palestinian Council leader Abu Ala, they could give "the next generation... a life different from the one we had known."