Relationship dossier
Israel
Palestine
Relationship assessment
Oslo-era cooperation has been overshadowed by occupation, settlement expansion and recurring conflict.
Israel toward Palestine
-85Israel entered the Oslo process and subsequent agreements with Palestinian authorities, but its continued control over occupied Palestinian territories, settlement expansion and restrictions on Palestinians, as well as recurrent military operations, have been major sources of confrontation.
Palestine toward Israel
+15The Palestine Liberation Organization recognized Israel in 1993, and the Palestinian Authority has engaged in security coordination with Israel under the Oslo framework. Palestinian authorities also contest Israeli policies and seek an end to occupation and recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Overall relationship
-65The Oslo framework created durable institutions and channels for cooperation, including Palestinian self-government and security coordination. However, the unresolved conflict over occupation, settlements, borders, security and Palestinian statehood, together with recurrent violence, defines the relationship more strongly than the limited cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Israel’s relationship with Palestinian political authorities is shaped by the Oslo process and subsequent agreements, alongside the continuing occupation of Palestinian territories, settlement expansion, movement restrictions and recurrent armed conflict. The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization have pursued recognition of Israel and security coordination, while seeking an end to occupation and Palestinian statehood. The relationship remains deeply adversarial despite periods of institutional cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Israeli occupation and control of Palestinian territories
- Israeli settlement expansion
- Movement and access restrictions affecting Palestinians
- Disputes over borders, security and Palestinian statehood
- Recurrent Israeli-Palestinian violence
Key developments
The Palestine Liberation Organization recognized Israel and the parties signed the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, launching the Oslo process.
Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed the Gaza-Jericho Agreement, providing for initial Palestinian self-government in parts of the territories.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and consistency of Israeli implementation of agreements with Palestinian authorities vary over time.
- The scope and continuity of Palestinian Authority security coordination with Israel are uncertain.
- Palestinian political authority is divided, and the policies of the Palestinian Authority, Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas are not identical.