Palestine in Crisis
The Struggle for Peace and Political Independence after Oslo
Graham Usher
TNI/Pluto Press in cooperation with MERIP, 2nd updated version 1997 (originally published October 1995)
ISBN: 0 7453 0974 7

The signing of the Oslo agreement between Palestine and Israel in 1993 was hailed as an historic moment inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence for both parties. Yet despite the positive moves on the parts of both Arabs and Israelis, the conflict continues and the Palestinians now seem as far away as ever from achieving statehood. The PLO has now achieved international recognition, yet events since the signing have illustrated just how far apart the two adversaries still are. Why is the agreement now in real danger of collapse?

Addressing this vital question, Graham Usher explores the background to the Oslo agreement and its political and economic ramifications. The role of the PLO since Oslo, PLO fragmentation and the living conditions in the Occupied Territories including from the perspective of Palestinian civil, are all examined.

Having lived in Gaza for many years and a regular contributor to the London-based Middle East International, Usher offers one of the best accounts of the conditions and circumstances in the West Bank and Gaza. His analysis integrates socio-political, economic and cultural dimensions of the Palestine-experience in the post-Oslo period. He is interested in the key sectors of the Palestinian political society including the working classes, the woman's movement and the Islamists.

Palestine in Crisis is a highly acclaimed, succinct overview of this critical period in contemporary Middle East politics.