The Road Map for Peace is a plan for peace between Israel and Palestine, created by the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations. It consists of three phases, with requirements such as the end of violence and the establishment of a democratic government in Palestine. Despite some progress, the plan has stalled due to obstacles such as the election of Hamas and continued hostilities.
The Road Map for Peace is an energetic and optimistic plan to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinian people. It was conceived by an international “Quartet” of superpowers: the United States, Russia, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN). The first version of the Road Map for Peace was first outlined by President George W. Bush in 2002, when he proposed an independent, democratic Palestinian state to coexist peacefully with Israel. The plan was proposed in the hope of securing a home for Palestinian refugees, bringing democracy and, of course, stability to the Middle East.
When the Quartet formally met to chart the Road Map for Peace, it did so in three main phases, each based on the performance and progress achieved in the previous one. Initially, there were some basic requirements that had to be met before the Road Map could be launched. One was that the Palestinian Authority must make reforms towards a democratic system of government and, more importantly, avoid terrorism and violence as means of manipulation and punishment. Furthermore, Israel was required to accept and support Palestine as a state and to leave settlements in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The three sentences are as follows:
Phase one: (expected completion date: May 2003)
End of violence by Palestinians, or affiliated with the liberation movement.
The Palestinians must hold democratic elections.
Israel should withdraw from settlements in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Phase Two: (Expected completion date: June-December 2003) An international conference will be held in this phase to begin the reconstruction of Palestine by discussing its economy, establishing Israeli-Arab liaisons, establishing borders, and rebuilding infrastructure.
Phase three: (expected completion date: 2004/2005) In this phase, the second International Conference will define borders, decide who will “take” Jerusalem and agreements will be made on how to handle Palestinian refugees.
The Road Map to Peace has been widely accepted in both the West and the Middle East, and has started vigorously with concessions from both sides. On March 19, 2003, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat appointed the first Prime Minister of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas. This was a big step because most Western governments believed that Arafat had been a major obstacle to peace. Israel, in turn, has released several Palestinian political prisoners. Unfortunately, the spirit of cooperation did not last long: violence resumed until a ceasefire was declared on June 29, 2003.
On July 1, 2003, the Road Map for Peace was “active” again when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Abbas jointly came out in support of the Road Map. Israel withdrew from Bethlehem and the United States promised to give 30 million US dollars (USD) to help rebuild Palestine.
With Arafat’s death in 2004, Western leaders hoped that peace would continue, free of old hostilities and alliances. A summit was held with the Palestinians, Egypt and Jordan in February 2005 where they reaffirmed their support for the Road Map. Sharon’s momentum ended when in January 2006 he was incapacitated by a severe stroke. In his place, Ehud Olmert pledged to carry forward his vision and resume work to achieve the objectives of the Road Map.
A major obstacle was encountered in 2006 when Hamas (an Islamic resistance movement) won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Since the United States and Israel declared they would not deal with Hamas because of their commitment to destroy Israel, the Road Map to peace appears to have stalled. Hostilities continued into 2006 between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. As of 2007, not even the first phase of the Road Map for Peace has been completed.
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