The Palestine Chronology

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: In Gaza, 3 Israeli buses used to transport Palestinian workers to Israeli factories are torched [FJ 10/25]. In Jerusalem's Old City, rabbinical students attack 4 Arabs; police arrest 3 Jews [CSM 10/20].

Arab World: Palestinian child abducted in Beirut 3 months ago is released by his kidnappers [FJ 10/25].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Demonstrations are reported in Shu'fat refugee camp, Hebron, and E. Jerusalem [FJ 10/25].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Total strike in Gaza protests killing of 4 Palestinians 10/6 [FJ 10/11]. Also in Gaza, youths throw stones at Israeli vehicles, burn tires in roads; 5 Israelis are injured by stones thrown at tourist bus [FBIS 10/9]. Trustees of al-Najah, Birzeit, al-Quds, and Islamic universities meet in Nablus [FJ 10/11]. IDF checkpoint outside al-Birah prevents students from attending classes [FJ 10/11]. Representatives of striking employees from Abu Dis College of Science and Technology meet with administration officials [FJ 10/11]. Al-Dustur reports Higher Education Council has approved establishment of 3 new community colleges on W. Bank: 2 in Hebron and 1 in Bethlehem [FBIS 10/9].

Other Countries: Reagan administration drops plan to sell Saudi Arabia Maverick anti-tank missiles in effort togain congressional support for remainder of arms sale package [NYT 10/9]. Washington Jewish Weekly reports U.S. Sen. Lawton Chiles, chairman of Senate Budget Com., is supporting Israeli request to refinance part of its debt [WJW 10/8].

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli warplanes attack Tyre [FBIS 10/9]. Amal and Palestinians exchange machine gun and rocket fire southeast of Sidon. State of alert is declared for Shatila and Burj al-Barajinah refugee camps in Beirut [FBIS 10/9].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Curfew on Balatah refugee camp is lifted [FJ 6/7]. House of Ramallah family, one of whose members is accused of participating in 1983 bus bombing, is partly destroyed by Israeli soldiers [FJ 6/7]. Ramallah military court agrees to investigate charges made by Rasmi Muhammad 'Asi of torture during police interrogation [FJ 6/7]. Deputy P.M. David Levy attends inauguration celebration for new Israeli settlement at al-Radar Hill [FJ 6/7]. It is revealed before Knesset Financial Com. that civil administration collected U.S. $235 million in direct and indirect taxes from occupied territories, a sum which exceeds annual allocated budget of the civil administration [FJ 6/7]. Israeli authorities attempt to confiscate 4,000 dunams of land from Nablus-area village of Salim and 5,000 dunams from Bayt Dajan village; owners of land are appealing the confiscation order [FJ 6/7]. At least 5 prisoners are injured in clash between prisoners and guards at Hebron Prison; prisoners declare hunger strike in response to incident [FJ 6/7].

Arab World: Lebanon's Prime Minister Rashid Karami is assassinated in helicopter explosion en route from Tripoli to Beirut; 3 others are wounded in blast; Pres. Jumayyil declares national week of mourning [CSM, NYT 6/2].

Other Countries: Assignment of Meir Rosenne, Israeli ambassador to U.S., expires. No new ambassador has been named [NYT 6/3].

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli tanks reach Jazin, 12 miles north of Israeli border [CSM 6/2].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/lsrael: Foreign Ministry blocks P. M. Shamir's message to Israeli embassies that international conference plan is dead, substitutes message that proposal is still alive [NYT 5/15]. Marwan Barghuthi, Birzeit U. student council pres., and Khalil 'Ashur, al-Najah U. student, are expelled to Jordan [FJ 5/17]. Arab local councils inside green line hold 1-day strike to protest budgetary and development inequality [FJ 5/17].

Arab World: Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine releases video of Alann Steen, previously reported near death, stating fate of American hostages held in Beirut is still tied to release of Arab prisoners from Israeli jails [WP 5/15].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli troops use force, tear gas to disperse women's demonstration in Ramallah, impose curfew on town and al-Birah. There are reports of protests in Jalazun, Am'ari, Balatah, and Dahayshah refugee camps [FJ 4/12]. Students hold hunger strike at Bethlehem U. in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners [FJ 4/12]. Hebron's Polytechnic Institute is closed for 8 days after army finds "inciting material" at the school [FJ 4/12]. Student demonstration forces U.S. Consul General Morris Draper to suspend his visit to Birzeit University [FJ 4/12].

Other Countries: In Washington, Jordan's P. M. Zayd Rifa'i urges U.S. Sec. of State Shultz to support King Hussein's plan for international Middle East peace conference. King Hussein also promotes proposal with EEC members during meetings in Brussels [NYT 4/8]. Israeli F. M. Peres joins Palestinian and Soviet representatives at Rome meeting of Socialist International's Middle East Study Group discussion of possibilities for an international Middle East peace conference [WT 4/8]. W. German Chancellor Kohl meets with Israeli Pres. Herzog, expresses W. Germany's commitmento insuring Israel's security [LAT 4/8].

Military Action

Arab World: Syrian forces enter Shatila refugee camp in S. Beirut, ending 5-month Amal militia siege of camp; Ahmad Yamani (Abu Mahir), sec. of Palestine National Salvation Front, meets with other PLO leaders in Sidon to discuss PLO pullout from positions in the area [WP, NYT 4/8]. 

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Striking waqf teachers hold sit-in at al-Fatah al-Laji'ah Girls School in Jerusalem. Union of Workers in Private Schools in Jerusalem has stated support for the strike [FJ 4/3]. Former U.S. Pres. Carter and his wife travel to Hebron area village of Bayt Ummar to observe projects sponsored by Catholic Relief Services and U.S. government [FJ 4/3].

Military Action

Arab World: Explosion near Syrian command post in Beirut kills 8, injures at least 10. In Kafr Hazir, village in N. Lebanon, unidentified gunmen ambush an army jeep, killing 1 Syrian officer, wounding 5 soldiers [WP 3/29]. Amal snipershoot at Shatila refugees protesting Amal siege, kill 5 [WP 3/30]. Hizballah and SLA forces clash inside Israeli security zone; Israeli military claims 5 SLA soldiers are wounded, 3 Hizballah fighters killed [FJ 4/3].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Military authorities order Gaza's Islamic University closed for 10 days [FJ 2/27].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Grenade explodes during changing of Israeli border guard at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate, wounds 12 soldiers, at least 2 Israeli citizens, 3 Palestinians. PLO claims responsibility [FJ 2/27]. Explosion destroys soldiers' hitchhiking station at entrance to new Jewish settlement town of Efrat, midway between Jerusalem and Hebron [JP 2/27]. At Jalazun refugee camp near Ramallah troops use tear gas to disperse protestors who had blocked roads, thrown stones. Merchants strike in Gaza City to protest continued detention of over 135 university students [FJ 2/27].

Arab World: Syrian troops enter W. Beirut [BG 2/23].