Courtesy, William J. Clinton Presidential Library; National Archives & Records Administration - from Frontline.
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Since the creation of the State of Israel, there has been tension over the right of its government to exert authority over the native Palestinian people, particularly in the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Violence between Palestinian and Israeli nationalist groups has persisted throughout the twentieth century. Following decades of tension and failed peace negotiations, though, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the government of Israel agreed to a peace plan called the Oslo Accords. These accords created a self-governing body called the Palestinian Authority, mandated the gradual withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Palestine, and established guidelines for Jewish settlement around Jerusalem. Despite both the PLO and the Israeli government agreeing to the Oslo Accords, many of its mandates were not carried out in subsequent years and the goal of attaining peace in Israel and Palestine remains elusive.
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