The Palestine Chronology

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: In proposal to curb public spending, Finance Minister Yigal Cohen-Orgad proposes freeze on further Israeli settlements; Peace Now hails plan; rightwing Tehiya Party threatens to pull out of coalition if plan approved. Haaretz publishes poll indicating 48.5% Israeli respondents oppose more settlements on West Bank; 26.9% favor. General strike in Eilat sees 5,000 residents demonstrate against closure of Timma Copper Works and general economic distress. Striking postal workers ordered back to work. Abed Abu Diab, Jerusalem unionist and consultant to Jerusalem Electric Co., gets 5th renewal of 6-month town arrest order.

MILITARY ACTION:

Arab World: 1 Israeli soldier killed and 2 wounded in ambush on IDF border patrol in Jezzine, S. Lebanon. 

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/lsrael: High Court delays order to demolish 2 al-Thowri homes belonging to families of persons suspected of indirect involvement in killing of Israeli settler in Hebron. 3 Dura teenagers sentenced by Ramallah military court to 15-30 years for membership in "illegal organizations." 2 Gaza Red Crescent Society officials, Dr. Haidar Abd al-Shafi & Abd al-Karim Tululi, tried for possession of banned books. Town arrest of Hamdi Faraj, executive member of Arab Journalists Assoc., renewed for 6 months. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics announces inflation to reach 190% by end 1983 (compared with 130% in 1982).

Other Countries: Israel's 1985 American aid request presented simultaneously in Washington and Jerusalem; no final sum, but declares need for $3.3 billion to fill foreign currency gap. Reagan appoints Orthodox Jew, Marshall Jordan Berger to post as White House liaison to US Jewish community. UNRWA disavows any connection with Israeli gov't.'s proposed refugee resettlement scheme. US praises Israel-assisted rescue of Phalangist militiamen from Deir al-Qamar as "model for further progress in the reconciliation process in Lebanon." European Parliament to send delegation to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt to examine possibilities of solutions to Middle East and Lebanon conflict.

MILITARY ACTION:

Arab World: USS New Jersey's 16-inch guns, in action for first time since Vietnam war, fire at Syrian anti-aircraft batteries east of Beirut.

SOCIAL/POLITICAL: Occupied Palestine/ Israel: Israeli police arrest Ephraim Segal, US-immigrant Elon Moreh settler, for questioning in murder of Nablus girl (12/8/83). 2 Israeli buses damaged and 1 Kiryat Arba settler hurt in hail of stones outside Dheisheh refugee camp. Hebron man obtains order nisi requiring West Bank commander to give cause for sealing of his home.

Arab World: Villagers in Milke, S. Lebanon riot against IDF patrol; 5 villagers injured, several arrested.

MILITARY ACTION: Occupied Palestine/Israel: 2 petrol bombs thrown at Israeli police bus near al-Bireh. Occupation forces demolish 3 Palestinian homes and seal 4 others in Hebron and Ramallah belonging to suspected members of groups hostile to Israel.

Arab World: Gemayel advisor discloses orders received in Washington to move LAF into Druze-held Chouf as US and Israeli warplanes provide cover and US ships blanket area with heavy artillery.

Other Countries: US Sec. of State Shultz criticized in Tunis for US-Israel "strategic cooperation."

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli police detain 7 Kiryat Arba settlers forcing way into Abraham's tomb during Muslim prayer times.

MILITARY ACTION:

Occupied Palestinel Israel: Jerusalem police find and detonate 5 IDF grenade bombs near 3 Christian churches and a mosque in city; grenade explodes in Salah al-Din Street; no injured reported; 6 Arab- owned automobiles burnt in Jerusalem; "TNT" claims responsibility for all incidents. Israeli troops extend military camp on farm land in 'Ush al-Ghurab belonging to Beit Sahour residents confiscated 10/7/83 for "military purposes. "

Arab World: Israeli gunboats attack Arafat base in Tripoli.

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel:

Jewish National Fund plans to transplant cedars of Lebanon fail due to war in Lebanon; in Galilee, 10-15,000 reported already transplanted from France where imported by Lebanese immigrants.

Arab World: Gemayel sends FM to Damascus for talks on withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon.

Other Countries: US, British, French and Italian FMs reaffirm commitment to MNF presence in Beirut. In General Assembly debate, Israeli UN ambassador Blum requests UN cancel arrangements to protect Arafat's departure from Tripoli in light of recent bomb explosion on Jerusalem bus.

MILITARY ACTION:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Aisha Adnan Bahash, 11, shot dead, sister, Fida, 9, shot in face by Israeli settler in Nablus bakery. Israeli troops raid and vandalize Palestinian cultural exhibit at Nablus Labor Union office, detain 11 present, confiscate publications. Students and 2 teachers from Hashimiya Secondary School in al- Bira arrested after clashes with about 200 Israeli soldiers as students protest "civil administration" ceremony at school with military presence. Yatta farmers driven from their fields by Israeli settlers. Bus traveling to Kiryat Arba reportedly stoned outside Hebron. 

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli shekel now equals 1 US cent. [In 6 years of Likud gov't., Israeli currency devalued 99%.] Knesset defeats Communist no-confidence motion over agreements with Washington. Israeli "civil administration" imposes sanctions on Dheisheh camp residents, restricting travel permits to Jordan, preventing return of Palestinian visitors to other Arab countries.

Other Countries: Greece agrees to send 4 ships to Tripoli for evacuation of Arafat's soldiers. Mayor McCann of Jersey City, NJ, USA, announces his city to "adopt" Israeli settlement of Tekoah in West Bank. 

MILITARY ACTION:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Central Nablus curfewed for 24 hours after failed grenade attack on Israeli patrol and Molotov cocktail thrown at patrol in Askar camp. 

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Imam of Katibeh Mosque in Gaza given 18 mos. prison term for "incitement" after denouncing murder of Hebron U. students last July. Gaza artist, Fathi Ghabin's detention extended for producing "inciting" posters. Raphael Eitan and Chaim Herzog lead public castigation of 6 Israeli POWs returned by PLO in November prisoner exchange and 2 others still captive for cowardly surrender. Gush Emunim settlers camp at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus declaring to create permanent Jewish presence there; Peace Now warns of demonstration next day, supports DM Zipori's position that encampment is illegal. Teachers in 10 Israeli gov't. schools in Ramallah and al-Bireh strike over low wages. Life sentences given 2 Palestinians charged with killing Ramallah Village League head (1981), and an attack on IDF officer imposed as "(mayor" of al-Bireh; 2 others sentenced to 12-14 years for attacking Israeli settler in Hebron.

Arab World: Arafat accepts outline of Saudi-organized ceasefire in Tripoli. After letter from Pres. Reagan reiterating US position, King Hussein says he is prepared to resume talks with Arafat on joint Palestinian-Jordanian approach to negotiations with Israel; in light of current struggle in Tripoli, Hussein promises to put "no conditions on him. " Rebel spokesman asserts Tripoli fighting results from Arafat's refusal to heed Coordination Committee proposals. Tyre municipality opens special employment office for men released from Ansar prison; appeals to UNRWA to provide jobs.

Other Countries: Meeting in Washington, Pres. Gemayel and Reagan agree to stand by May 17 Lebanese-Israeli agreement. US Sec. of Defense Weinberger tells Jewish leaders of Synagogue Council of America that Arafat is "irrelevant" to future of Middle East. Chile's FM ends visit to Israel; agreement reached to expand mutual trade and agricultural cooperation. Abu Ja'far, Dir. of PLO Political Dep't holds talks with Soviet charge d'affaires in Tunis; also received GDR, DPRK, Rumanian, Polish and Czech ambassadors on occasion of Int'l. Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People. Major oil co.s shipping under Liberian flag pressure Liberian gov't. to cancel plans for embassy in Jerusalem; ambassador reported looking for alternative location in Tel Aviv.

MILITARY ACTION:

Arab World: Palestinian casualties in Lebanon mountain artillery exchanges: 2 PFLP fighters, 1from Struggle Front, 2 from Liberation Army and 1 from al-Saiqa killed; 2 from Struggle Front wounded. Israel-backed militia chief in S. Lebanon, Abu Saleh, quits to renew loyalty to Amal militia. 1983 to date, 71 Druze quit Israeli military for religious reasons (compares with 19 in 1982).