October 1, 2002
President Bush signs the Foreign Affairs Authorization Act for fiscal
year 2003 and maintains that the status of Jerusalem must be negotiated
by the Israelis and Palestinians.
September 12, 2002
President Bush, addressing the United Nations General Assembly,
underscored his commitment to the establishment of an independent and
democratic Palestinian state "living side by side with Israel in peace
and security."
August 8, 2002
Secretary of State Powell met in Washington with a Palestinian
delegation including Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat, Interior Minister
Abdel Razak Yehiyeh and Economic and Trade Minister Maher Masri.
August 1, 2002
President Bush meets with Jordan's King Abdullah in Washington. Bush
also met briefly with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who was at
the White House for discussion with National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice.
June 24, 2002
President Bush, speaking from the White House, calls
for new Palestinian leadership and pledges that, "when the
Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions, and new security
arrangements with their neighbors, the United States of America will
support the creation of a Palestinian state whose borders and certain
aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional until resolved as part
of a final settlement in the Middle East." Bush also calls for an end
to terrorism, increased humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian
people, and the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab
World.
May 2, 2002
The United States, United Nations, European Union, and Russia announce
plans to arrange for the distribution of humanitarian aid and establish
more effective security arrangements in the region.
April 4, 2002
President Bush, speaking from the White House, outlines his vision for
a resolution of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and announces
Secretary of State Powell will travel to the region, seeking an end to
terrorism and violence.
March 27, 2002
The Arab League, meeting in Beirut, adopts the proposal of Saudi Crown
Prince Abdullah endorsing a peaceful two-state settlement of the
Arab-Israeli conflict.
March 12, 2002
The United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 1397, endorsing a
"vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side
by side within secure and recognized borders." The resolution,
introduced by the United States, is the first Security Council
resolution to refer to Palestinian statehood.
February 18, 2002
President Bush supports a Saudi proposal to normalize Arab relations
with Israel in exchange for withdrawal to its 1967 borders. The
proposal first appeared February 17, 2002, in "The New York Times".
November 19, 2001
Secretary Powell, in a speech delivered at University of Louisville,
Kentucky, outlines U.S. policy to help achieve peace between Arabs and
Israelis. He underscores U.S. support for a vision of a region where
two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and
recognized borders.
November 10, 2001
Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, President Bush
states the U.S. will work "toward a day when two states, Israel and
Palestine, live peacefully together within secure and recognize borders
as called for by the Security Council resolutions."
September 26, 2001
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Chairman Arafat
agree to a ceasefire and promise to resume joint security initiatives.
July 19, 2001
The Group of Eight (G-8) foreign ministers, meeting in Genoa, issue a
statement calling for the implementation of the Mitchell Report
recommendations.
June 26, 2001
President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon meet in Washington to discuss
implementation of the Mitchell Report.
April 30, 2001
The Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, chaired by former U.S.
Senator George J. Mitchell, issues its final
report on how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might be solved.
The report calls for an immediate cease-fire, a renunciation of
terrorism and a resumption of peace talks, as well as a freeze on
construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.
February 25, 2001
Secretary of State Powell meets with Prime Minister Sharon in Jerusalem
and Chairman Arafat in Ramallah.
November 7, 2000
Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell is asked by President Clinton to
chair a fact-finding commission to look into the causes of recent
violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
October 17, 2000
Arafat and Barak attend meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt arranged by
president Clinton and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss a
cease-fire and pullback of Israeli forces.
October 4, 2000
Israeli PM Barak and Palestinian leader Arafat meet with Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright and French President Jacques Chirac in Paris.
July 11-25, 2000
President Clinton hosts meeting between Israeli and Palestinian
leadership to address the most difficult of final status issues,
including Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.
March 21, 2000
Palestinian-Israeli talks commence at Bolling Air Force Base near
Washington, DC and last one week. The U.S. facilitates discussion of
permanent status issues in an effort to help the parties reach a
comprehensive agreement by September 13, 2000.
January 3, 2000
Delegations from Israel and Syria, again led by PM Barak and Foreign
Minister Al-Shara, gather in Shepherdstown, West Virginia for a further
week of talks. Differences remain, and Secretary Albright announces the
postponement of a third round of talks.
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