THOUGH A MAJORITY of Israelis endorsed the peace plan, even before the peace accord was signed, voices were raised in opposition. Many Israelis felt, first and foremost, that Arafat could not be trusted. They considered him an unrepentant murderer and a terrorist who, though he spoke peace, still secretly desired the destruction of Israel. Opponents pointed out that the Palestinian National Council had not yet removed the clauses in their charter that denied Israel's right to exist and that called for the destruction of Israel. (That language was not officially removed by the council until April 1996.) Many Israelis believed that Arafat was using the peace accord to strengthen the PLO's prestige among the Palestinians.

Furthermore, many Israelis believed that the establishment of independent Palestinian territories was a grave threat to Israeli security. Once established in secure bases on the West Bank and...