Justin Gerdes, Editorial Intern

Since September 28, 2000, the beginning of the second Intifada, escalating waves of violence, directed at Israeli and Palestinian communities alike, have nearly extinguished the Middle East peace process - and taken more than 2,000 Palestinian and 750 Israeli lives. On April 30, in an effort to quell the conflict and rejuvenate the peace process, diplomats from Russia, the UN, the European Union and the United States - the "Quartet" - formally released the "road map," their plan for peace in the Middle East. Document drafters unequivocally assert that "the settlement will resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict." The ambitious plan has been endorsed by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, a bevy of Arab leaders and, with qualifications, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

In backing the plan, both Sharon and Abbas have used language that has brought them under fire from those they previously could count on for support: Sharon for using the word "occupation" in reference to Palestinian territories, and Abbas for calling for an end to "terrorism." Reaction by parties upset with the movement toward peace was swift: In the first 10 days after the road map was christened by President Bush, Sharon and Abbas at a June 4 summit in Aqaba, Jordan, 60 people were killed in renewed violence. Palestinian and Israeli officials, however, have not been deterred by these latest setbacks and continue to work to fulfill the terms of the road map. On June 29, three Palestinian militant groups - Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah - announced three- and six-month cease-fires, while Israeli Defense Forces began to pull out of Beit Hanoun, and other towns in northern Gaza. Three days later Israeli troops withdrew from the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Below is a summary of the road map.

Phase I (Through May 2003)

- Palestinian leadership must: acknowledge Israel's right to exist; declare an immediate end to violence and terrorism against Israelis; crack down on groups engaged in terror; produce a draft constitution; reform its political institutions; hold free elections.

- Israel must: declare its commitment to a two-state solution to the conflict; halt deportations, attacks on civilians and demolition of Palestinian homes and property; withdraw from areas occupied since September 28, 2000; dismantle settlements erected since March 2001 and freeze all settlement activity.

Phase II (June 2003 - December 2003)

- Quartet convenes an international conference to assess progress.

- Palestinian constitution is finalized and adopted; independent state with provisional borders is created through the assent of the international conference.

- Quartet pushes for international recognition of the Palestinian state, which may include UN membership.

Phase III (2004 - 2005)

- Quartet convenes a second international conference.

- Israel and Palestinian leadership reach status resolution on fixed borders for the two states; a settlement is reached on possible joint control of Jerusalem and status of Palestinian refugees and Israeli settlements.

- Arab states acknowledge existence of and broker peace deals with Israel as part of final, comprehensive Middle East peace.

The full text of the road map can be read on the U.S. State Department's website at: www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/20062.htm