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It has been suggested that October 2000 riots (Israel) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

The wreckage of a commuter bus in West Jerusalem after a suicide bombing on Tuesday, 18 June 2002. The blast killed 20 people.

The al-Aqsa Intifada (Arabic: ,انتفاضة الاقصى, transliteration: Intifādat El Aqsa or Intifādat Al Aqsa; Hebrew: אינתיפאדת אל אקצה (or אינתיפאדת אל-אקצה with a hyphen), transliteration: Intifadat El Aqtsa) is the wave of violence that began in September 2000 between Palestinian Arabs and Israelis; it is also called the Second Intifada (see also First Intifada). "Intifada" is an Arabic word for "uprising" (literally translated as "shaking off"). Many Palestinians consider the intifada to be a war of national liberation against foreign occupation, whereas many Israelis consider it to be a terrorist campaign. The wreckage of a commuter bus in West Jerusalem after a suicide bombing on Tuesday, 18 June, 2002. ... The wreckage of a commuter bus in West Jerusalem after a suicide bombing on Tuesday, 18 June, 2002. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one system of writing into another. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 7 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... A hyphen ( -, or ‐ ) is a punctuation mark. ... Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one system of writing into another. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Intifada (also Intefadah or Intifadah; from shaking off) is an Arabic term for uprising. It came into common usage in English as the popularised name for two recent Palestinian campaigns directed at ending the Israeli military occupation. ... It has been suggested that Demographics of terrorism be merged into this article or section. ...

Less common names for the conflict are Oslo War, a name given by those who consider it a result of concessions made by Israel following the Oslo Accords, and Arafat's War, after the late Palestinian leader whom Israelis blame for starting it. The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles (DOP), were finalized in Oslo, Norway on August 20, 1993, and subsequently officially signed at a public ceremony in Washington D.C. on September 13, 1993, with Mahmoud Abbas signing for the...

The Israeli Defense Forces codenamed the events (already before their outbreak) אירועי גאות ושפל ("Ebb and Tide events"). This name remained internal code in the Israeli Security Forces, but the Intifada mostly called in Israel אינתיפאדת אל-אקצה or Al-Aqsa Intifada. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... The Israeli Security Forces (ISF) are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ...

The truce (Arabic: تهدئة Tahdi'a) declared at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005 was considered by many to mark the end of the Intifada, despite incidents of sporadic violence from both sides during the first months of 2005. The lull in violence was attributed by many to the change in Palestinian government following the death of Yasser Arafat ^{[citation needed]} and the Israeli unilateral disengagement plan. The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005 took place on February 8, (2005), when four Middle Eastern leaders gathered at Sharm el-Sheikh, a town at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in order to declare their wish to work towards the end of the four-year Al-Aqsa... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969... A map illustrating the four phases of the Gaza disengagement plan. ...

Prior events

By signing the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel, the Palestine Liberation Organization committed to curbing violence in exchange for phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and Palestinian self-government within those areas through the creation of the Palestinian Authority. However, both sides ended up deeply disappointed in the results of the Oslo Accords. (Redirected from 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel) The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, acting as representatives of the Palestinian people) in 1993 as part of a peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officially... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic: منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية (help· info) or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinians dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the region historically known as Palestine. ... The West Bank The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is a semi-autonomous state institution nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls the Palestinian Territories). It was established as a part of Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. ...

In the immediate five years following the Oslo signing, 405 Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers (source: B'Tselem); 256 Israeli citizens were killed, more than the amount slain in the previous fifteen years (216, 172 of which were slain during the First Intifada). In addition, due to forced enclose of Palestinian areas by Israeli security fences, many Palestinians lost their jobs in Israeli cities, causing the unemployment rate to spike by 50% and cause the standard of living to drop by 30% To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

This increase in Israeli casualties caused a simmering discontent aimed at the Oslo Accords in the Israeli public. At the same time, many Palestinians blamed this collapse on the conditions imposed in Oslo, especially the rapidly increasing settler population and the subsequent uncompensated land confiscation for the enlargement of "buffer zones" around the settlements.

In 1995, Shimon Peres took the place of Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by Yigal Amir, a Jewish extremist opposed to the Oslo peace agreement. In the 1996 elections, Israelis elected the Likud candidate, Benjamin Netanyahu, who promised to restore safety for Israelis by conditioning every step in the peace process on Israel's assessment of the Palestinian Authority's fulfillment of its obligations in curbing violence as outlined in the Oslo agreement. Netanyahu continued the policy of construction within and expansion of existing Israeli settlements, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Though construction within the settlements was not explicitly prohibited in the Oslo agreement and the violence increased after 1993, many Palestinians believed that the continuing construction was contrary to the spirit of the Oslo agreement. ▶ (help· info) (Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן פֶּרֶס without Niqqud: שמעון פרס) (born Shimon Perske on August 16, 1923 in Poland, and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1934), is an Israeli politician, who was a member of the Labour Party until December 2005. ... ▶ (help· info) (or Yitschak Rabin) (or Yitzchak Rabin) (יצחק רבין in Hebrew), (March 1, 1922 – November 4, 1995) was an Israeli politician and general. ... Site of the rally before the assassination: Rabin Square and Tel Aviv City Hall during the day. ... Yigal Amir (Hebrew: יגאל עמיר) (born May 23, 1970) is the Israeli assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... (help· info) (Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ (without niqqud: בנימין נתניהו), Hebrew transliteration written in English: Binyamin Netanyahu, nicknamed Bibi) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ... The peace process describes efforts by interested parties to effect a lasting solution to long-running conflicts, such as in Northern Ireland (see Belfast Agreement) or the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... Israeli settlements are communities built for Israeli Jewish settlers in areas that it captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. ...

Some have claimed that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority had pre-planned the Intifada [1]. They point out that Yasser Arafat had warned that the failure of on-going peace process talks would lead to another intifada [2]. They often quote a statement made by Imad Falouji, the P.A. Communications Minister at the time, that the violence had been planned since Arafat's return from the Camp David summit in July, far in advance of Sharon's visit. He stated that the intifada "was carefully planned since the return of (Palestinian President) Yasser Arafat from Camp David negotiations rejecting the U.S. conditions."[3][4]. David Samuels quotes Mamduh Nofal, former military commander of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who supplies more evidence of pre-September 28th military preparations. Nofal recounts that Arafat "told us, Now we are going to the fight, so we must be ready". Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969... The West Bank The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is a semi-autonomous state institution nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls the Palestinian Territories). It was established as a part of Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. ... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969... The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. ... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969...

In his book The High Cost of Peace, Yossef Bodansky writes: Yossef Bodansky is the Director of Research of the International Strategic Studies Association, and the Director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare of the US House of Representatives and a visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. ...

Clinton's proposal... included explicit guarantees that Jews would have the right to visit and pray in and around the Temple Mount... Once Sharon was convinced that Jews had free access to the Temple Mount, there would be little the Israeli religious and nationalist Right could do to stall the peace process. When Sharon expressed interest in visiting the Temple Mount, Barak ordered GSS chief Ami Ayalon to approach Jibril Rajoub with a special request to facilitate a smooth and friendly visit... Rajoub promised it would be smooth as long as Sharon would refrain from entering any of the mosques or praying publicly... Just to be on the safe side, Barak personally approached Arafat and once again got assurances that Sharon's visit would be smooth as long as he did not attempt to enter the Holy Mosques... A group of Palestinian dignitaries came to protest the visit, as did three Arab Knesset Members. With the dignitaries watching from a safe distance, the Shahab (youth mob) threw stones and attempted to get past the Israeli security personnel and reach Sharon and his entourage... Still, Sharon's deportment was quiet and dignified. He did not pray, did not make any statement, or do anything else that might be interpreted as offensive to the sensitivities of Muslims. Even after he came back near the Wailing Wall under the hail of stones, he remained calm. "I came here as one who believes in coexistence between Jews and Arabs," Sharon told the waiting reporters. "I believe that we can build and develop together. This was a peaceful visit. Is it an instigation for Israeli Jews to come to the Jewish people's holiest site?" (p354) The Temple Mount (Hebrew: (without niqqud: הר הבית), Har haBáyit) or Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, â–¶ (help· info)) is a hotly contested religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem. ... Ami Ayalon is an Israeli former admiral and today, a peace activists. ... Ehud Barak (Hebrew: אֵהוּד בָּרָק) (born February 12th, 1942, in Mishmar HaSharon kibbutz, then British Mandate of Palestine) is an Israeli politician and was the 10th Prime Minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. ... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969... The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for assembly) is the Parliament of Israel. ... Western Wall by night The Western Wall, known as the Kotel HaMaaravi (or simply Kotel)הכותל המערבי in Hebrew , also called the Wailing Wall (or Al-Buraq Wall, in a mix of English and Arabic) is a retaining wall from the time of the Second, q. ...

Following Israel's pullout from Lebanon in May 2000, the PLO official Farouk Kaddoumi told reporters: "We are optimistic. Hezbollah's resistance can be used as an example for other Arabs seeking to regain their rights" (AP, Mar 26, 2002). Farouk al-Kaddoumi (alternative spelling, Faruq al-Qaddumi), a. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ...

Starting as early as September 13, 2000, members of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement carried out a number of attacks on Israeli military and civilian targets, in violation of Oslo Accords. In addition, the Israeli agency Palestinian Media Watch alleged that the Palestinian official TV broadcasts became increasingly militant during the summer of 2000, as Camp David negotiations faltered [5]. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969... Fatah (Arabic: فتح); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major Palestinian faction and the largest constituency of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a multi-party confederation. ... The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles (DOP), were finalized in Oslo, Norway on August 20, 1993, and subsequently officially signed at a public ceremony in Washington D.C. on September 13, 1993, with Mahmoud Abbas signing for the...

According to the Mitchell Report, (the investigatory committee set up to look into the cause of the violence and named after the chairman of the committee, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell), the government of Israel asserted that

the immediate catalyst for the violence was the breakdown of the Camp David negotiations on 25 July 2000 and the “widespread appreciation in the international community of Palestinian responsibility for the impasse.” In this view, Palestinian violence was planned by the PA leadership, and was aimed at “provoking and incurring Palestinian casualties as a means of regaining the diplomatic initiative.” The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

The Palestine Liberation Organization, according to the same report, denied that the Intifada was planned, and asserted that "Camp David represented nothing less than an attempt by Israel to extend the force it exercises on the ground to negotiations." [6]

The report also stated:

From the perspective of the PLO, Israel responded to the disturbances with excessive and illegal use of deadly force against demonstrators; behavior which, in the PLO’s view, reflected Israel’s contempt for the lives and safety of Palestinians. For Palestinians, the widely seen images of Muhammad al Durra in Gaza on September 30, shot as he huddled behind his father, reinforced that perception. Mohammed Al-Durra is a 12-year old Palestinian child. ...

Although the common belief today is that Muhammad al Durra was actually killed by Palestinian fire [7]

The Mitchell Report, based on a subsequent investigation, found that the Sharon visit did not cause the Al-Aqsa Intifada, although it was poorly timed and would clearly have a provocative effect. The report also concluded that

Accordingly, we have no basis on which to conclude that there was a deliberate plan by the PA to initiate a campaign of violence at the first opportunity; or to conclude that there was a delilberate plan by the Government of Israel to respond with lethal force.

Timeline

2000

On September 27, Sgt. David Biri (Information from Israeli government) was killed; Israeli sources typically view this as the start of the Intifada. September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ...

Sharon visits the Temple Mount

On September 28, the Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited in the Temple Mount (called Har HaBayit in Hebrew, Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Arabic) in the Old City of Jerusalem, the holiest site for Judaism, the first Qibla of Muslims and the third holiest site in Islam, and a place of special significance to Christianity. The pretext for Sharon's visit was to check complaints by archeologists that Muslim religious authorities had vandalized archeological remains beneath the surface of the mount during the conversion of Solomon's Stables into a mosque. September 28 is the 271st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (272nd in leap years). ... For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon; for an overview, see Health problems. ... The Temple Mount (Hebrew: (without niqqud: הר הבית), Har haBáyit) or Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, ▶ (help· info)) is a hotly contested religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 7 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Jerusalem (31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: (help· info) Yerushalayim; Arabic: (help· info) al-Quds), Greek Ιεροσόλυμα, is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meter. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, with around 14 million followers (as of 2005 [1]). It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. ... At prayer in Damascus Qibla (قبلة) is an Arabic word referring to the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God)) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus, the Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ...

Sharon's impending visit was officially announced and approved in advance with many Palestinian officials including Arafat himself, though prior to it some people on both sides protested, because of his controversial political stance. He was warned that this could lead to riots but Sharon declared that he went to the site with a message of peace. His visit was condemned by the Palestinians as a provocation and an incursion, as was his over 1,000 strong armed bodyguard that arrived on the scene with him in claims that Palestinian protesters threatened his life.

The "October Riots" begin

IDF soldiers clash with young Palestinians in Hebron, 2000

Young Palestinians clash with IDF soldiers in Hebron, 2000

On September 29, 2000, the day after Sharon's visit, following Friday prayers, large riots broke out around Old Jerusalem during which several Palestinians were shot dead. Already in the same day, the September 29, 2000, demonstrations and riots broke out in the West Bank. In the days that followed, demonstrations erupted all over the West Bank and Gaza. Image File history File links Idf_soldiers_in_hebron_2000. ... Image File history File links Idf_soldiers_in_hebron_2000. ... Hebron (Arabic (help· info) al-Ḫalīl; Hebrew (help· info), Standard Hebrew Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeḇrôn: derived from the word friend) is a town in the Southern Judea region of the West Bank of around 130,000 Palestinians and 500 Israeli settlers. ... Image File history File links Palestinian_boys_hebron_2000. ... Image File history File links Palestinian_boys_hebron_2000. ... Hebron (Arabic (help· info) al-Ḫalīl; Hebrew (help· info), Standard Hebrew Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeḇrôn: derived from the word friend) is a town in the Southern Judea region of the West Bank of around 130,000 Palestinians and 500 Israeli settlers. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Also on September 29, 2000, in the West Bank city of Qalqilya, a Palestinian police officer working with Israeli police on a joint patrol opened fire and killed his Israeli counterpart Supt. Yosef Tabeja, a Israel Border Police officer. September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Qalqīlyah (Arabic قلقيلية; Standard Hebrew קלקיליה Qalqilya) is an Arab city in the West Bank. ... The Israel Border Police (Hebrew: משמר הגבול, mishmar hagvul) is the combat branch of the Israeli Police. ...

On October 12, two Israeli reservists who entered Ramallah were arrested by the PA police. An agitated Palestinian mob stormed the police station, beat the soldiers to death (joined by the policemen), and threw their mutilated bodies into the street. The killings were captured on video by an Italian TV crew and broadcast on TV; the famous picture of one member of the mob waving his blood-stained hands from the window shocked and outraged many around the world, and became another iconic image. [8] October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... Ramallah (Arabic: (help· info) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank of approximately 57,000 residents. ... Image File history File links Ramallah Lynch - two Israeli Reservists were lynched by a mob on Oct 12, 2000 Copy Rights Public domain File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

In response, Israel launched a series of retaliatory air strikes against the Palestinian Authority. The violence quickly escalated and in the first six days of the Intifada, 61 Palestinians were killed and 2,657 were injured by the Israeli Military and Police.

In October, Israeli Arabs, citizens of Israel, started violent riots in show of support to the Palestinians, in the riots main roads (such as Wadi Ara road) were blocked while banks and stores were set on fire and Jewish civilians were assaulted by the Arab rioters. The Israeli Police reacted by sending crowd-control units to try to break up the riots. Jan Bechor, an Israeli civilian from Rishon LeZion was stoned to death by an Arab mob near Jisr Az-Zarqa. Policemen opened fire with rubber-coated bullets and later with live ammunition on the rioters, and snipers were deployed. Twelve Israeli-Arabs and one Palestinian were killed by police fire. Following the use of snipers, the riots were suppressed and order was restored.

Following the riots, there was a high degree of tension between Jewish and Arab citizens and distrust between the Arab citizens and police. An investigation committee, headed by Supreme Court Justice Theodor Or, reviewed the violent riots and found that the police were poorly prepared to handle such riots and charged major officers with bad conduct. The Or Commission reprimended Prime Minister Ehud Barak and recommended Shlomo Ben-Ami (then the Internal Security Minister) not serve again as Minister of Public Security. The committee also blamed Arab leaders and Knesset members for contributing to inflaming the atmosphere and making the violence more severe.

2001

Ariel Sharon from the Likud ran against Ehud Barak from the Labour party and Sharon was elected Israeli prime minister in February, 2001 in the 2001 special election to the prime ministership. For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon; for an overview, see Health problems. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... Ehud Barak (Hebrew: אֵהוּד בָּרָק) (born February 12th, 1942, in Mishmar HaSharon kibbutz, then British Mandate of Palestine) is an Israeli politician and was the 10th Prime Minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, HaAvoda) is a political party in Israel. ... The special election to the prime ministership in Israel that were held in 2001 were the only election in the history of Israel which in only the prime minister was chosen (and not the Knesset). ...

On May 7, 2001, the IDF naval commandos captured the vessel Santorini, which sailed in international waters towards Palestinian Authority-controlled Gaza. The ship was laden with weaponry. The Israeli investigation that followed alleged that the shipment had been purchased by Ahmed Jibril's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC). The ship's value and that of its cargo was estimated at $10 million. The crew was reportedly planning to unload the cargo of weapons filled barrels — carefully sealed and waterproofed along with their contents — at a prearranged location off the Gaza coast, where the Palestinian Authority would recover them. May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Shayetet 13 ( שייטת 13 ) is the Israeli naval commando elite special forces unit. ... Ahmed Jibril Ahmed Jibril (born 1928) is the founder and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC), part of the left-wing, secular Palestinian rejectionist front, so-called because they reject proposals for a peaceful settlement with Israel. ... The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين - القيادة العامة) is a left-wing Palestinian nationalist organization, backed by Syria. ...

On June 1, 2001, a Hamas suicide bomber detonated himself in the Tel Aviv coastline Dolphinarium dancing club. 21 Israelis, most of them high school students, were killed. The attack significantly hampered American attempts to negotiate cease-fire. June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death in addition to the attacks primary purpose (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Dolphinarium is a great aquarium for dolphins. ...

2002

In January 2002 the IDF Shayetet-13 naval commando captured the Karine A, a large boat carrying weapons from Iran presumably intended to be used by Palestine militants against Israel. It was discovered that top officials in the Palestinian Authority were involved in the smuggling. Israel claims that Yasser Arafat also was involved, a claim accepted by the Bush Administration. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל (help· info), [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces, comprising the Israeli army, Israeli air force and Israeli navy. ... Shayetet 13 ( שייטת 13 ) is the Israeli naval commando elite special forces unit. ... The Karin A (also Karine A) was a 4,000 ton freighter intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on January 3, 2002 carrying a wide variety of weapons. ... The West Bank The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is a semi-autonomous state institution nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls the Palestinian Territories). It was established as a part of Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. ... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ...

A spate of suicide bombings launched against Israel elicited a military response. A suicide bombing dubbed the Passover Massacre (30 Israeli civilians were killed at Park hotel, Netanya) climaxed a bloody month of April 2002 (more than 130 Israelis, mostly civilians, killed in attacks). Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield. The operation led to the apprehension of many members of militant groups, as well as their weaponry and equipment. The Netanya suicide attack (also known as the Netanya bombing and the Passover massacre) was a Palestinian suicide bombing in Park Hotel at Netanya on March 27, 2002. ... Netanya (Hebrew: נְתַנְיָה, Standard Hebrew Nətanya) is a city in the Center District of Israel in Israel. ... Operation Defensive Shield (In Hebrew, מבצע חומת מגן) was a large-scale military operation conducted by the Israeli Defence Forces in April 2002. ...

The UN estimated that 497 Palestinians were killed and 1,447 wounded during the IDF reoccupation of Palestinian areas between 1 March through 7 May and in the immediate aftermath. An estimated 70-80 Palestinians, including approximately 50 civilians, were killed in Nablus. Four IDF soldiers were killed there. [9] March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... Nāblus (sometimes Nābulus; Arabic: (help· info); IPA , Hebrew: (help· info); IPA ); 32°13′N 35°16′E) is a major city under Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and, with a population of over 100,000, is one of the largest Palestinian population centers in the Middle East. ...

Especially fierce battles took place at the Jenin refugee camp: 32 Palestinian militants, 22 Palestinian civilians, and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting. The battle remains a flashpoint for both sides, due to initial allegations of a massacre of hundreds of Palestinians that surfaced during the IDF's operations in the camp. These allegations were disproved by international agencies that placed the actual death toll at below 55. Jenin (Arabic: (help· info), Hebrew: גנין), is a Palestinian city on the West Bank, and is a major agricultural center. ...

See main article: The battle in Jenin 2002 for more information about this topic.

In late April 2 to May 10, a stand-off developed between armed Fatah militants and the IDF at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Despite the Code of Conduct demanding respect for holy sites, IDF snipers killed 7 people inside the church and wounded more than 40 people. The stand-off was resolved by the deportation of 13 Palestinian militants to Europe and the IDF ended its 38 day siege of the church. Jenins refugee camp was the site of one of the most controversial battles of Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002). ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... Fatah (Arabic: فتح); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major Palestinian faction and the largest constituency of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a multi-party confederation. ... The Church of the Nativity, a Bethlehem Landmark Bethlehem (Arabic بيت لحم (help· info) house of meat; Standard Hebrew בית לחם house of bread, Bet léḥem / Bet láḥem; Tiberian Hebrew Bêṯ léḥem / Bêṯ lāḥem) (Greek: Βηθλεέμ) is a city in the West Bank under Palestinian Authority considered a central hub of... Look up Code of Conduct in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Things called code of conduct or Code of Conduct include: code of conduct — a set of rules to guide behaviour and decisions Code of Conduct — a 2001 movie starring Kevin Bacon Code of Conduct — a book by Kirstine Smith that... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ...

2003

Following an Israeli intelligence report claiming to prove that Arafat paid $20,000 to Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the United States demanded democratic reforms in the Palestinian Authority, as well the appointment of a prime minister independent of Arafat. On 13 March 2003, following U.S. pressure, Arafat appointed the moderate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as Palestinian prime minister. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (كتائب شهداء الأقصى) are a Palestinian armed terrorist group closely linked to the Fatah party. ... The West Bank The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is a semi-autonomous state institution nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls the Palestinian Territories). It was established as a part of Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Mahmoud Abbas (Arabic: محمود عباس) (born March 26, 1935), commonly known as Abu Mazen (ابو مازن), was elected President (Raees) of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on January 9, 2005 and took office on January 15, 2005. ...

Following the appointment of Abbas, the U.S. administration promoted the Road Map for Peace — the Quartet's plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by disbanding militant organizations, halting settlement activity and establishing a democratic and peaceful Palestinian state. The first phase of the plan demanded that the PA suppress guerrilla and terrorist attacks and confiscate illegal weapons. Unable or unwilling to confront militant organizations and risk civil war, Abbas tried to reach a temporary cease-fire agreement with the militant factions and asked them to halt attacks on Israeli civilians. 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 Quartet on the Middle East, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international entities involved in mediating the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian People. ... This article needs to be updated to deal with the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. ...

On May 20, Israeli naval commandos intercepted another vessel, the Abu Hassan, on course to the Gaza Strip from Lebanon. It was loaded with rockets, weapons, and ammunition. Eight crew members on board were arrested including a senior Hezbollah member. 20 May is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... The Hezbollah flag Hezbollah (Arabic ‮حزب الله‬, meaning Party of God, for other designations or alternative spellings, see name part of this article) is a Shia Islamist group in Lebanon founded in 1982 to fight the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. ...

In June 2003, a so-called Hudna (truce) was unilaterally declared by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which declared a ceasefire and halt to all attacks against Israel for a period of 45 days. The following month was more quiet than the preceding months although there were several suicide bombings were committed against Israeli civilians as well as Israeli operations against militants. Hudna (هدنة) is an Arabic term meaning truce or armistice as well as calm or quiet, coming from a verbal root meaning calm. It is sometimes translated as cease-fire. In the Lisan al-Arab (Ibn al-Manzurs definitive dictionary of classical Arabic, dating to the 14th century) it is... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Islamic Jihad (Arabic: Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami) is a militant Islamist group based in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ...

One of the more provocative raids was when tanks and APCs invaded a refugee camp outside Nablus, killing four people, two of whom were militants. Nearby Palestinians claimed a squad of Israeli police disguised as Palestinian labourers opened fire on Abbedullah Qawasameh as he left a Hebron mosque [10]. YAMAM, the Israeli counter-terrorism police unit which performed the operation stated that Qawasemah opened fire on them as they attempted to arrest him. Many Hamas and activists in Hebron came from the local Qawasameh tribe. ... YAMAM symbol The YAMAM ( יממ ), is the acronym for Special Police Unit (יחידת משטרה מיוחדת) in Hebrew, Israels elite civilian counter-terrorism unit. ...

On August 19, Hamas coordinated a suicide bombing attack on a crowded bus in Jerusalem killing 23 Israeli civilians, including 7 children. Hamas claimed it was a retaliation for the killing of 5 Palestinians (including Hamas leader Abbedullah Qawasameh) earlier in the week. U.S. and Israeli media outlets frequently refer to bus bombings shattering the quiet and bringing an end to the ceasefire. August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... The Jerusalem bus 2 massacre was a suicide bombing in a crowded bus in Jerusalem, Israel on August 19, 2003, which killed 23 people and wounded over 130. ... Jerusalem (31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: (help· info) Yerushalayim; Arabic: (help· info) al-Quds), Greek Ιεροσόλυμα, is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meter. ... Many Hamas and activists in Hebron came from the local Qawasameh tribe. ...

Following the Hamas bus attack, Israeli Defence Forces were ordered to kill or capture all Hamas leaders in Hebron and the Gaza Strip. The plotters of the bus suicide bombing were all captured or killed and Hamas leadership in Hebron was badly damaged by the IDF. Strict curfews were enforced in Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarem; the Nablus lockdown lasted for over 100 days. In Nazlet 'Issa, over 60 shops were destroyed by Israeli civil administration bulldozers. The Israeli civil administration explained that the shops were demolished because they were built without a permit. Palestinians consider Israeli military curfews and property destruction to constitute collective punishment against innocent Palestinians. [11] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... Hebron (Arabic (help· info) al-ḪalÄ«l; Hebrew (help· info), Standard Hebrew Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeḇrôn: derived from the word friend) is a town in the Southern Judea region of the West Bank of around 130,000 Palestinians and 500 Israeli settlers. ... Many Hamas and activists in Hebron came from the local Qawasameh tribe. ... A bulldozer is a powerful crawler (caterpillar tracked tractor) equipped with a blade. ...

Unable to rule effectively under Arafat, Abbas resigned in September 2003. Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) was appointed to replace him. The Israeli government gave up hope for negotiated settlement to the conflict and pursued a unilateral policy of physically separating Israel from Palestinian communities by beginning construction on the Israeli West Bank barrier. Israel claims the barrier is necessary to prevent Palestinian attackers from entering Israeli cities. Palestinians claim the barrier separates Palestinian communities from each other and that the construction plan is a defacto annexation of Palestinian territory. Ahmed Qureia, AKA Abu Alaa Ahmed Ali Mohammed Qurei (or Qureia; أحمد علي محمد قريع), also known as Abu Alaa (أبو علاء) (born March 26, 1937) is prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. ... The barrier route as of May 2005. ...

Following an October 4 suicide bombing in Maxim restaurant, Haifa, which claimed the lives of 21 Israelis, Israel claimed that Syria and Iran sponsored the Islamic Jihad and Hizbullah, and were responsible for the terrorist attack. Days after the Maxim massacre, IAF warplanes bombed a terrorist training base at Ein-Saheb, Syria. October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Maxim restaurant suicide bombing occurred on October 4, 2003, when a 29-year-old female Palestinian suicide bomber, Hanadi Jaradat, exploded inside the Maxim restaurant in Haifa. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Islamic Jihad (Arabic: Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami) is a militant Islamist group based in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ... Hezbollah militant Guerrilla carrying Hezbollah Flag Hezbollah (Arabic ‮حزب الله‬, meaning Party of God) is a political and military organization in Lebanon founded in 1982 to fight Israel in southern Lebanon. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF) (Hebrew: חיל האוויר Heyl haAvir) is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces. ...

2004

In response to a repeated shelling of Israeli communities with Qassam rockets and mortar shells from Gaza, the IDF operated mainly in Rafah — to search and destroy smuggling tunnels used by militants to obtain weapons, ammunition, fugitives, cigarettes, car parts, electrical goods, foreign currency, gold, drugs and cloth from Egypt. Between September 2000 and May 2004, ninety tunnels connecting Egypt and the Gaza Strip were found and destroyed. [12] Raids in Rafah left many families homeless. Israel's official stance is that their houses were captured by militants and were destroyed during battles with IDF forces. Many of these houses are abandoned due to Israeli incursions and later destroyed. According to Human Rights Watch, over 1500 houses were destroyed to create a large buffer zone in the city, many "in the absence of military necessity", displacing around sixteen thousand people. [13] Image:Qassam. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ×”×”×’× ×” לישראל (help· info), [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces, comprising the Israeli army, Israeli air force and Israeli navy. ... Rafah (Arabic: رفح Hebrew: רפיח) is a town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border, on the Sinai Peninsula. ... Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground, used for smuggling of goods, illegal weapons and people. ... The bayonet, still used in war as both knife and spearpoint. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... This article is about someone fleeing from legal custody. ... A cigarette will burn to ash on one end. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational rather than for working or for medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. ...

On 2 February 2004, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to transfer all the Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli opposition dismissed his announcement as "media spin" but the Israeli Labour Party said it would support such a move. Sharon's right-wing coalition partners Mafdal and National Union rejected the plan and vowed to quit the government if it were implemented. Surprisingly, Yossi Beilin, peace advocate and architect of the Oslo Accords and the Geneva Initiative, also rejected the proposed withdrawal plan. He claimed that withdrawing from the Gaza Strip without a peace agreement would reward terror. February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon; for an overview, see Health problems. ... Israeli settlements are communities built for Israeli Jewish settlers in areas that it captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. ... Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Dr. Yossef (Yossi) Beilin (born June 12, 1948) is a dovish Israeli politician, a former Knesset member, deputy foreign minister and justice minister within the Israeli Labour Party. ... The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles (DOP), were finalized in Oslo, Norway on August 20, 1993, and subsequently officially signed at a public ceremony in Washington D.C. on September 13, 1993, with Mahmoud Abbas signing for the... This article is about the proposal for peace between Israel and Palestine. ... For the state of pronounced fear, see terror. ...

Following the declaration of the disengagement plan by Ariel Sharon and as a response to suicide attacks on Erez Crossing and Ashdod seaport (10 people were killed), the IDF launched a series of armored raids on the Gaza Strip (mainly Rafah and refugee camps around Gaza), killing about 70 Hamas terrorists. On March 22, 2004, an Israeli helicopter gunship killed Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and on April 17, after several failed attempts by Hamas to commite suicide bombings, his successor, Abed al-Aziz Rantissi was killed by IDF helicopter gunship strike. Israels unilateral disengagement plan (also known as the disengagement plan, תוכנית ההינתקות) is a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to remove all permanent Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria (part of what is known as The West Bank to the Palestinians, the UN, and... Ashdod (Hebrew אַשְׁדּוֹד, Standard Hebrew AÅ¡dod;, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAÅ¡dôḏ, Arabic إسدود ʾIsdÅ«d) is a port city in Israel located halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza, in the Southern District of Israel. ... Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ×”×”×’× ×” לישראל (help· info), [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces, comprising the Israeli army, Israeli air force and Israeli navy. ... Rafah (Arabic: رفح Hebrew: רפיח) is a town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border, on the Sinai Peninsula. ... Image:Gazaseal. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin (~1937 — March 22, 2004) was the leader of Hamas until he was killed by an Israeli helicopter gunship. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... Dr. Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi (in the Arabic script عبدالعزيز الرنتيسي) (October 23, 1947 - April 17, 2004) was the co-founder of the Palestinian Islamist paramilitary and political organization Hamas. ... A helicopter gunship is a military helicopter armed for attacking targets on the ground, using automatic cannon and machinegun fire, rockets, and precision guided missiles such as the Hellfire. ...

The fighting in Gaza Strip escalated severely in May 2004 after several failed attempts to attack Israeli checkpoints such as Erez crossing and Karni crossing. However, on May 11 and May 12, Palestinian militants destroyed two IDF M-113 APCs, killing 13 soldiers and mutilating their bodies. The IDF launched two raids to recover the bodies in which about 20-40 Palestinians were killed and great damage was caused to structures in the Zaitoun neigbourhood in Gaza and in south-west Rafah. The Israeli Gaza Strip barrier is a separation barrier along the armistice line of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War between the Gaza Strip and Israel. ... The Karni Crossing is a cargo terminal in the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... The M113 during the Vietnam War The M113 is an armored personnel carrier family. ... APC is an abbreviation of: General A Perfect Circle, rock band Advanced process control Armoured personnel carrier Armour-piercing capped shot and shell Automatic Passenger Counter Automatic Performance Control Average Propensity to Consume Alternate playing cost, or Alternate casting cost, in the game Magic: The Gatherin