A Year After Annapolis, Report Shows Israeli Road Map Violations Continue to Accelerate

One year after the Annapolis Conference, Dr. Saeb Erekat commended the international community for its sustained efforts in support of the negotiations process that was revived last year after a long hiatus. Dr. Erekat expressed particular gratitude for the assistance provided to the Palestinian Authority for reform and capacity building throughout this critical period. “We thank the international community for the success of the Paris and Berlin conferences, and all the work that has gone into helping build the Palestinian economy, institutions, and security sector in accordance with our Road Map commitments and for the benefit of all our people,” he noted. He further added that “as a result of these concerted efforts, law and order is returning, trained and professional security forces are being deployed, and institutional reforms are taking place at an ongoing pace, as called for by the Road Map.”

Meanwhile, however, the same cannot be said about Road Map implementation by Israel. In a report released today, the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said that Israel has failed to implement their Phase 1 Road Map commitments, which were renewed at the Conference.

The ten-page report, “Summary of Israeli Road Map Violations since Annapolis” documents serious Israeli violations that have occurred in the past year with respect to settlement activity; attacks against Palestinians and their property; internal closures; closure of Jerusalem institutions; and other Road Map obligations.

For example, the report notes that in violation of Israel’s commitment to “freeze all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements),” Israeli settlement activity has actually accelerated since the Conference. In the twelve months before Annapolis, Israel tendered 137 settlement housing units. By contrast, since the Annapolis Conference, 2300 such units have been tendered by Israel. This represents an alarming increase of 1678%, or nearly seventeen times the number of units tendered in the twelve month period before Annapolis.

“A year ago, the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships met and re-affirmed their commitment to the path of peace based on the two-state solution” said Dr. Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian Negotiator. “Regrettably, Israel’s record since Annapolis speaks for itself. Instead of freezing settlement activity, Israel has concentrated its efforts on fortifying its control and colonization of Palestinian land. These actions not only make a mockery of the proceedings at Annapolis; they deeply undermine the project of reaching a two-state solution.”

The report also shows a significant increase in Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians and properties in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in the year since the Annapolis Conference.

“In the occupied Gaza Strip, our people are struggling to survive as a man-made humanitarian crisis unfolds as a direct result of the Israeli closure. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, and especially in East Jerusalem, Israel is intensifying its campaign of home demolitions, land confiscations and residency revocation,” added Dr. Erekat. “Israel’s political leadership must decide whether it will pursue the path of peace and security or the perpetuation of the conflict through collective punishment, dispossession and destruction.”