How Did We Get Here? Israel and the Palestinians: 8: From the First Intifada to the Camp David Summit
Feb 9, 2026
Mark Tessler, political science professor offering academic context, and Jeremy Bowen, BBC international editor with on-the-ground reporting, trace the First Intifada’s grassroots origins. They follow the Oslo peace process, discuss Rabin’s assassination, probe why Camp David 2000 collapsed, and map how violence, politics and separation led toward the second intifada and Gaza’s growing isolation.
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Power Of Unarmed Resistance
- The First Intifada gained global resonance because it showed largely unarmed Palestinians, including children, confronting heavily armed Israeli forces.
- Jeremy Bowen says these images made it politically hard for Israel to dismiss the uprising as mere terrorism.
Occupation Alters Israeli Calculations
- The Intifada shifted Israeli public opinion toward 'creeping dovishness' and made many question the security of holding the occupied territories.
- Mark Tessler argues army officers concluded holding the West Bank posed greater security risks than withdrawing.
Gulf War Shaped Peace Momentum
- The 1991 Gulf War and George H.W. Bush's 'New World Order' push helped create momentum for diplomatic steps like the Madrid Conference.
- Jeremy Bowen notes Madrid opened rare direct talks between Israel and Arab states and set a path toward secret Oslo talks.
