The Palestine Chronology

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Ten-year-old boy shot during symbolic funeral for Abu Libdah; Rafah placed under curfew while military authorities bury him (Fl 9/26). In Nablus, Israeli authorities do not renew work permit of al-Najah University President Dr. Mundhir Salah on grounds he used post to "conduct incitement in university circles," according to Ha'Aretz of 9/21 (FBIS 9/24).

Arab World: Saudi Arabia gives PLO a check for $28.5 million. Total Saudi aid to PLO is $114 million/year (Fl 9/26).

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israel Aircraft Industries announces the Lavi jet fighter has passed all of its ground tests and will make its first test flight on schedule next September [JTA 5/8].

Other Countries: U.S. House of Representatives rejects by vote of 356-62 Reagan administration's requested arms sales to Saudi Arabia [LAT, BG 5/8]. British investigators are seeking to question a Syrian diplomat in connection with the attempt to smuggle a bomb aboard an Israeli jumbo jet at Heathrow Airport [NYT, MG 6/8].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Industry and Trade Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered strict labeling guidelines for all products made in the occupied territories, which he claims "threaten Israeli firms with unfair competition" [JP 5/6]. Israeli police and Shin Bet arrest 5 more members of alleged underground Palestinan cell suspected of 2 murders, 2 attempted murders, bringing total arrested to 25 [JP 5/7]. Israel signs agreement to participate in U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative; Israel is the third to sign, after Britain and West Germany [LAT, WP 5/7]. Police Staff Sergeant-Major Yosef Oren is charged in police disciplinary court with beating a prisoner with electric cords to force him to confess to murder [JP 5/7]. Mattityahu Drobles, co-chairman of the World Zionist Organization's settlement department, vetoes proposal by his cochairman, Nissim Zvili, that 500 Palestinian refugee families replace the Israeli settlers in Kibbutz Netzarim instead of being settled at Tal Sultan; Gaza Strip settlers joined Drobles in dismissing the proposal [JP 5/7].

Arab World: Pres. Hafiz al-Asad ends 24- hour visit to Amman after talks with King Hussein aimed at improving relations between the 2 countries; no communique or joint statement is issued [NYT 5/7].

Other Countries: U.S. Senate rejects by vote of 73-22 the Reagan administration's request to sell $354 million worth of advanced arms to Saudi Arabia [NYT, WP 5/7]. Ahmad Nawaf Mansur, a Jordanian arrested in connection with the explosion at a West Berlin discotheque last month, has reportedly confessed to an earlier bombing in the city, saying it was organized by the Syrian embassy in East Berlin [NYT 5/7].

Social/Economic/Political

Arab World: Saudi Arabia has given $28.5 million to the PLO, believed to be a quarter of the $114 million earmarked for the PLO for this year [JDW 4/5]. Former first vice president of the Sudanese government under Pres. Numayri, Maj. Gen. 'Umar Muhammad al-Tayyib, is sentenced to 2, 30-year jail terms for his role in airlifting Ethiopian Jews out of Sudan to Israel [NYT 4/6; LT 4/7].

Other Countries: U.S. Vice Pres. George Bush arrives in Saudi Arabia for start of 8-day, 4-country tour aimed largely at demonstrating continuing U.S. commitment to Arab states of the Persian Gulf; Bush promises U.S. arms to Saudi leaders [WP, NYT 4/6].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: A senior Israeli official states P.M. Peres has proposed negotiating a settlement with Palestinian mayors in the occupied territories [CT 1/24]. Minister of Trade and Commerce Ariel Sharon and Time magazine reach out-of-court settlement in libel suit Sharon filed under Israeli law; Time apologizes, pays undisclosed amount of money [NYT, WP 1/23]. Israeli govt. agrees in principle to return $51 million to help U.S. meet budget cuts [JP 1/23].

Arab World: Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee set up by the 46-member Islamic Conference Organization meets in Morocco at request of Yasir Arafat, appeals for support in preventing further Israeli disruptions at Islamic shrines in East Jerusalem [JP 1/22; LT 1/23].

Other Countries: Security Council debates Moroccan, UAE resolution on "The Situation in the Occupied Arab Territories" in wake of confrontations at Haram al-Sharif; Egypt states Israel "must" withdraw from East Jerusalem, Palestinians in West Bank must have right to self-determination, Saudi Arabia warns of "wrath of hundreds of millions of Muslims" if "aggressions" continue [JP 1/22; JTA 1/23].