Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir speaking at the Madrid Peace Conference
צילום: לע"מ
Madrid Peace Conference (1991)
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The 1991 Madrid Peace Conference marked the first time Israel held direct, face-to-face talks with Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians. It was jointly sponsored by the United States and the Soviet Union.
Because Israel refused to negotiate with the terrorist PLO, the Palestinians were represented by residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip not associated with the organization, but it was an open secret that the Palestinian delegation was being guided by PLO figures who were staying in a hotel for the duration of the proceedings.
Israel held four separate sets of bilateral talks with Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian negotiation that were intended to resolve their conflicts and culminate in peace treaties.
Although no formal agreement came out of the conference, it led to more talks between Israel and the Arab countries, and set the groundwork for the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians and the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan.
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