finance
Iran's Historical Support for Militant Groups Undermined 1990s Middle East Peace Process
Iran provided financial and logistical support to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the 1990s to disrupt the Oslo Accords and Israel-Palestine negotiations. This backing contributed to a series of suicide bombings and terror attacks that eroded public support for peace on both sides.
Apr 8, 1:06 PM·3m read2 sources
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supported Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with funding, training, and bomb-making instruction during the 1990s to undermine the Oslo peace process.
U.S. federal court determined that Hamas received between $25 million and $50 million from Iran during 1995-1996. This period marked heightened Iranian involvement, with annual funding to anti-peace militant organizations ranging from $100 million to $200 million, equivalent to $200 million to $400 million in current dollars.
The support facilitated attacks such as suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians, which intensified Israeli security measures like checkpoints and closures. These measures restricted Palestinian access to jobs in Israel, reducing support for the accords among Palestinians.
Israeli military intelligence assessed that Iran aimed to influence the 1996 elections in favor of Benjamin Netanyahu, who won by approximately 30,000 votes.
" — Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as reported in The Atlantic (undated reference to 1990s).
in the 1990s The peace process began with secret talks in Oslo, leading to agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993, followed by normalization with parts of the Arab world and a 1994 peace treaty with Jordan.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, backed by Iran, responded with a wave of suicide bombings, a new tactic introduced to the conflict. One notable attack was the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre by an Israeli far-right extremist, which heightened tensions alongside the militant bombings.
In 1995, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to the peace process.
Shimon Peres, Rabin's successor, continued negotiations, and public opinion in Israel and among Palestinians largely supported the accords at the time. However, persistent attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, supported by Iran and Hezbollah, fostered skepticism and contributed to the erosion of the process.
