“Under the ‘Disengagement’ Plan, Gazans will still be subjected to the effective control of the Israeli military. Although Israel will supposedly remove its permanent military presence, Israeli forces will retain the ability and right to enter the Gaza Strip at will. Further, Israel will retain control over Gaza’s airspace, sea shore, and borders.” A memo from the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department establishes that the Gaza Strip will still legally be Israeli-occupied territory even if the Plan is implemented and outlines Israel’s strategy behind the Plan. Read more about The Israeli "Disengagement" Plan: Gaza Still Occupied
The government of Israel violated the Road Map by renewing the closure of Orient House, the primary Palestinian institution in Occupied East Jerusalem. The renewal of the closure order, delivered by Israeli Public Security Minister Hanegbi, was issued officially on August 5, 2003 and extends Orient House’s closure for another six months. Read more about Israel violates Road Map by extending Orient House closure
The time is now right for the United States to start sending monitors to the region to watch and help with the implementation of the whole of the Road Map up to 2005 and the creation of a viable, sovereign, independent Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel. Then perhaps, just perhaps, we will see the end of the longest occupation in history. Read more about The Road Map
In an effort to demonstrate compliance with the Road Map, the Israeli government has started to dismantle 15 of what it calls “unauthorized” settlement outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The facts are that the dismantlement is not consistent with Israel’s Road Map obligations, the dismantled outposts are dummies, and — most poignently — there is no such thing as an “authorized” settlement if settlements are illegal under international law. Read more about Factsheet: "Unauthorized" Settlement Outposts
On 29 April 2003, the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) gave an inaugral speech to the Palestinian Legislative Council. Following are excerpts and a link to his full speech. The excerpts are a fair representation of the speech in its entirety. The main difference between the texts is the removal of extensive salutations. Read more about Excerpts of Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas Speech Before Palestinian Legislative Council
The following is the text of the performance-based and goal driven roadmap, with clear phases, timelines, target dates, and benchmarks aiming at progress through reciprocal steps by the two parties in the political, security, economic, humanitarian, and institution-building fields, under the auspices of the Quartet. The destination is a final and comprehensive settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005, as presented in President Bush’s speech of 24 June, and welcomed by the EU, Russia, and the UN in the 16 July and 17 September Quartet Ministerial statements. Read more about Text of proposed "road map"
