Appearing before Senate Armed Services Committee, 2 former chrmn. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Crowe and Gen. David Jones, urge Bush admin. to postpone military action against Iraq...
Ariel Sharon, new housing minister, promises Israel will make no special effort to settle Soviet Jewish emigrants in O.T.: "We do not divert and we do not send any Russian immigrants or any Jew...
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Palestine Human Rights Information Center reports that at least 130 Palestinian houses have been partially or totally sealed in the...
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Elections to the Engineering Association in Gaza are held, Hamas wins 5 of 9 seats, pro-PLO bloc wins 3. [FBIS 2/1].
Arab World:...
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Appearing before Senate Armed Services Committee, 2 former chrmn. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Crowe and Gen. David Jones, urge Bush admin. to postpone military action against Iraq and to give sanctions a year or more to work [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 11/29; CSM 11/30].
Britain and Syria restore diplomatic relations, severed 4 years ago when Britain accused Syria of sponsoring terrorism. Communique from Damascus confirms resumption of ties, renounces terrorism, but adds "Syria does not consider resistance against Israeli occupation as terrorism" [MEM 11/28; NYT, WP 11/29].
UN Sec, Council passes res. 677 condemning Iraq's attempts to change Kuwait's demographic composition [MEM 11/29].
Israeli Cabinet votes to raise personal income taxes by 5% and to raise national sales tax from 16% to 18% in order to help pay for resettlement of Soviet Jewish immigrants. Measures take effect in 1991 pending Knesset approval (cf. 12/2) [MEM 11/28; NYT 11/29; MET 12/11].
Hard-line statement by King Fahd serves warning to Iraq that "no other solution will be accepted" than unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait [NYT 11/29].
Iraqi gov't. statement lashes out at U.S. for sponsoring UN resolution authorizing use of force, says it would ignore any deadline set by UN; in separate statement Saddam Hussein accuses UN of double standard in dealing with Middle East issues, particularly dealings with Israel [NYT, LAT 11/29].
Two IDF reservists who refuse to serve in o.t. are sentenced to 2 and 4 weeks in prison; since beginning of intifada 128 reservists have refused to serve in o.t. (cf. 12/1) [JDS 11/28 in FBIS 11/29].
Al-Fajr poll of 550 Nablus residents finds 34% believe war is inevitable and that 54% believe Iraq would triumph over coalition forces in the war [FJ 11/28].
Soviet F.M. Shevardnadze arrives in New York for UN Sec. Council meeting [TASS 11/28 in FBIS 11/29].
Ariel Sharon, new housing minister, promises Israel will make no special effort to settle Soviet Jewish emigrants in O.T.: "We do not divert and we do not send any Russian immigrants or any Jew who comes from Russia" to O.T. (cf. 6/25) [IDF 6/24 in FBIS 6/25; WP, LAT, NYT 6/25; CSM 6/27].
Knesset announces plans to allow armed civilian units to patrol perimeters of O.T. settlements; creation of settlers' Civil Guard comes under fire [MEM 6/ 25].
East German president of parliament Sabine Bergmann-Pohl and her West German counterpart Rita Suessmuth visit Israel apparently to allay Israeli concerns about a unified Germany. Bergmann-Pohl says she hopes she "will be able to assist in speeding up the creation of diplomatic relations between the two countries" [WT 6/26].
Israeli transport minister Moshe Qatzav suspends inauguration of direct commercial flights between Tel Aviv and Prague because of dispute over security arrangements in Czech capital UPD 6/25 in FBIS 6/28].
Inspector general of Israeli police, Yaakov Turner, warns Palestinian residents of E. Jerusalem that more of them would be killed if they continue demonstrations that began on 6/20 [JDS 6/24 in FBIS 6/28; NYT 6/25].
Hanna Siniora, editor of Al-Fajr, says of U.S. decision to suspend dialogue with PLO that "the whole area is slipping toward a bottomless pit of hatred and suspicion." Editorials say suspension of dialogue has "put the whole region on a powder keg" and amount to reward for Shamir's intransigence [CSM 6/25].
King Hussein calls on U.S. to reassess its Middle East policy and open door for Soviet Jews who wish to settle in U.S. rather than Israel [WSJ 6/25]
Egyptian F.M. Esmat Abdel Meguid flies to Washington hoping to avert crisis in U.S.-Arab relations and reassert Egypt's role in peace process [LAT 6/25].
Hadashot reports since Arye Bibi, commander of Jerusalem district police, assumed his post, 5 Arabs have been killed by police or border guard fire in the district. Under Bibi's predecessor Yosef Yehuday, no one was killed by police gunfire; due to relative quiet in O.T., Jerusalem is becoming intifada's frontline [HAD 6/25 in FBIS 6/28].
Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Palestine Human Rights Information Center reports that at least 130 Palestinian houses have been partially or totally sealed in the first 2 years of the intifada; also approximately 270 Palestinian homes have been demolished by IDF [NYT 2/7].
Likud Central Committee reschedules meeting postponed because of 2/4 bus attack in Egypt to 2/12 [FBIS 2/6].
Arab World: PLO officially denounces 2/4 bus attack in Egypt, says attack cannot be viewed in isolation from daily Israeli violence against Palestinians in O.T., reaffirms policies prohibiting armed actions outside Israel and the O.T. [NYT 2/7].
PNC in Amman sends Gorbachev a 5-page memorandum asking "in the name of human rights, we appeal to you to take speedy measures to stop the emigration to Soviet Jews" to Israel [LAT 2/7].
Other Countries: Environmentalists call on Pres. Bush to cancel $300 million project to build VOA and Radio free Europe radio transmitter in the Negev [WP 2/7].
At least 20 Gazans are injured in clashes with soldiers; IDF uses light aircraft to track demonstrators after about 400 youths gather near Rafah [FBIS 2/7].
Arab World: SLA checkpoint on the border of Israel's "security zone" comes under fire from unidentified fighters [FBIS 2/7].
Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Elections to the Engineering Association in Gaza are held, Hamas wins 5 of 9 seats, pro-PLO bloc wins 3. [FBIS 2/1].
Arab World: Arafat arrives in Cairo for third meeting this month with Pres. Mubarak [FBIS 1/29; MET 2/6].
Military Action
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli tax collectors seize 150 automobiles in al-Zawiyeh village, near Nablus, in attempt to force Palestinian owners to pay taxes [FJ 2/5].
Al-Fajr reports that Jewish settlers set fire to a Burin village mosque [FJ 2/5].
At least 6 Palestinians in O.T. are shot, injured in clashes with IDF [FJ 2/5].
Arab World: Israeli patrol in S. Lebanon is ambushed, DFLP claims responsibility, says its fighters killed 6 Israelis; Israel says no one was injured, and that the attackers fled when fired upon [MET 2/6; FBIS 1/ 26].
