The recent recognitions of a Palestinian state and the October 10 ceasefire have been followed by a flurry of calls to “deradicalize” Palestinian society. The New York Times editorial board went so far as to compare this deradicalization project to the denazification of Germany after the Second World War. These calls have the situation backwards to the point of farce.
Israel under Rabin seemed intent to stick to the accords, but a far-right ultrazionist terror attack in Hebron and the subsequent assassination of Rabin by a right-wing Israeli extremist undermined it significantly as well.
Of course the mosque attack had the same aim, and needs to be condemned just the same. But despite them, Arafat and the PA decided to continue the path towards peace. Hamas saw them even more as traitors and collaborators because of it (and, I’d like to point out, several posters in this thread still seem to believe this).
Despite it being a shocking event, the assassination of Rabin did not make Israel leave the path. His successor vowed to continue and even had a 30-point lead in the polls at one point.
Without the Hamas’ bombing campaign Netanyahu would have been left shouting from a corner instead of being handed the power to reverse Oslo.