2003 - One more Intifada year

Summary of the most importent events of the year

19.03.2003 - Abbas PM

 Mahmoud Abbas was appointed as the first prime minister of the Palestinian national authority. He was appointed to form the cabinet by Yasser Arafat who was no longer trustworthy for the U.S.A.

 30.04.2003 - Road Map for peace

 The details of the Road map for peace are released. The "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a "quartet" of international entities: the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations. The principles of the plan were first outlined by U.S. President George W. Bush in a speech on June 24, 2002, in which he called for an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace.

In exchange for statehood, the road map requires the Palestinian Authority to make democratic reforms and to stop the activities of the resisting forces. Israel, for its part, must support and accept the emergence of a reformed Palestinian government and end settlement activities in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The road map comprises three goal-driven phases with the ultimate goal of ending the conflict as early as 2005. Phase I (as early as May 2003): End to Palestinian

Violence; Palestinian political reform; Israeli withdrawal and freeze on settlement expansion; Palestinian elections.

Phase II (as early as June-Dec 2003): International Conference to support Palestinian economic recovery and launch a process, leading to establishment of an independent Palestinian state with provisional borders; revival of multilateral engagement on issues including regional water resources, environment, economic development, refugees, and arms control issues; Arab states restore pre-intifada links to Israel (trade offices, etc.).

 02.06.2003 - Egypt summit

 A two-day summit is held in Egypt. Arab leaders announce their support for the road map and promised to work on cutting off funding to the resisting forces.

21 August 2003 - The assassination of Ismail Abu Shanab

 Five Israeli missiles incinerated Ismail Abu Shanab in Gaza City on 21 August 2003, killing one of the most powerful voices for peace in Hamas and destroying the ceasefire. Israeli helicopters struck the car carrying the third most senior Hamas leader. The missiles also buried a seven-week ceasefire.