The cynical murder by the Israelis of the moderate Hamas leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, casts further doubt on Israel's intentions of following the Road Map which should lead to a viable independent state of Palestine. The Road Map was completed in December 2002 but its publication was delayed at the insistence of the Americans and the Israelis. The document, finally published in April 2003, set out three phases on the road to a Palestinian State by 2005.
The first phase which should have been completed by May 2003 included an end to violence; Palestinian political reform; Israeli withdrawal; a freeze on settlement expansion; and Palestinian elections. Phase 2 including creation of a provisional Palestinian State and international monitoring of compliance was to be accomplished between June and December 2003.
Despite its shortcomings, the Palestinians accepted the Road Map unconditionally. The Israelis accepted "the steps laid out in the plan" but not the plan itself and listed 14 reservations including rejection of the timetable; rejection of any statement concerning a cessation of Israeli violence against Palestinians; rejection of international monitoring and an insistence that it be under sole US management; refusal to discuss settlements in the West Bank or Gaza and refusal to acknowledge any right of return for Palestinian refugees.
Nevertheless, the Palestinian leadership continues to put its faith in the Road Map as the best deal on offer. An end to violence is crucial for any settlement and for lasting peace. In the past 3 years 2,400 Palestinians, many of them children, and 800 Israelis have died in the conflict.
The international community acknowledges the efforts of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Abu Mazen, and his partial success in persuading Hamas and Islamic Jihad to implement a ceasefire. The Road Map also requires Israel to refrain from violence and incitement and yet within weeks of its publication, Israel attempted the assassination of the Hamas founder , Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention. The murder of Ismail Abu Shanab, an acknowledged voice for peace within Hamas, makes the task of Abu Mazen to halt the suicide bombers virtually impossible. The Israeli Human Rights Group, Bt'selem calculates that up to June 2003, Israel assassinated 103 specifically targeted Palestinians, killing a further 49 bystanders in the process.
Abu Mazen succeeded in getting Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fateh to agree to a 3 month cease-fire in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners but so far the number released has been tokenistic.
The Road Map requires Israel to halt any new settlement building in the Occupied Territories and to dismantle all settlement "outposts" built since March 2001. These "outposts", built without official Israeli authorisation, are estimated to number over 100 and leaders of these illegal settlers have vowed to stay and fight having already killed dozens of Palestinians. All settlements within the Occupied Territories are illegal, not just the "outposts", but despite the Road Map's requirement for a freeze, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has claimed the right for the settlers to continue unlimited building for their children and grand children.
Phase 1 also requires Israel to make it possible for the Palestinians to hold free and fair elections, but they are impossible whilst the curfews and closures and restrictions on movement continue. These curfews and closures have increased since the Road Map was published. Further land seizures by Israel have restricted movement by Palestinians. Hundreds of acres of Palestinian land, homes and olive groves have been confiscated north of Jerusalem linking settlements which now encircle Jerusalem and isolate Palestinians in East Jerusalem. Further land acquisitions have taken place in Gaza and Israel continues to build the separation wall between Israel and the West Bank. This wall, termed by the Israelis as a "security fence", is on average 8 metres tall, built of concrete, with watch towers and electrified fences reminiscent of the Berlin Wall. It does not follow the internationally recognised Green Line separating the state of Israel from the West Bank but annexes a further 10% of Palestinian land, leaving thousands of Palestinians in a no-man's land, cut off from their farms, relatives, places of religious worship, health and education services and means of support and subsistence.
There is no enthusiasm on the part of Israel or the US to implement even Phase 1 of the Road Map. The EU, Russia and the UN must heed President Arafat's appeal for their involvement and assistance.
