The “cease-fire” achieved in Gilo on August 29th is the fifth such agreement to be reached between Israel and the Palestinians since the eruption of the Intifada. Some of the agreements were bilateral, others were unilateral — and they all held for a very short period of time.

October 17, 2000: The first cease-fire is achieved, just under three weeks after the Intifada erupted, between former prime minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat at the end of the Sharm el-Sheikh summit meeting. In the course of the Taba talks in January 2001 things were relatively calm, but a genuine cease-fire never reigned.

May 22, 2001: In the wake of the publication of the Mitchell Committee’s recommendations (an international committee appointed to investigate the circumstances that led to the eruption of the riots), Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a unilateral cease-fire. The Palestinians alleged this was done for public relations purposes, and the gunfire was renewed within a number of days.

June 2, 2001: In the aftermath of the suicide bombing attack in the Dolphinarium, Arafat declared a cease-fire. The reasons: international pressure that was applied on him and his fear of a very strong Israeli military reaction. This cease-fire was honored for two to three days only.

June 13, 2001: In the wake of the intervention of CIA Director George Tenet, Israel and the Palestinians announced that a cease-fire had been reached. One of the clauses of the cease-fire was that after seven days of quiet, Israel would be prepared to return to the negotiating table. This cease-fire too lasted only two or three days.

This article ran in Yedioth Ahronoth on August 30, 2001

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