1st official Syrian-Israeli talks since suspension of negotiations 2/94 begin in Washington; are expanded to include military advisors fr. both sides in hopes of giving momentum to negotiations on...
Morocco, Israel announce they will open liaison offices in Tel Aviv, Rabat, making Morocco 1st Arab country to establish official ties with Israel since Egypt. Morocco also to open liaison office...
IDF soldier killed in shooting incident at Nahal Oz crossing, Gaza Strip. Soldiers on duty reported shots fr. inside Gaza Strip and returned fire. Casualty may have been caused by IDF return...
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1st official Syrian-Israeli talks since suspension of negotiations 2/94 begin in Washington; are expanded to include military advisors fr. both sides in hopes of giving momentum to negotiations on the Golan. Israel sends military secy. Maj. Gen. Dani Yatom, IDF Chief of Staff Baraq; Syria sends Lt. Gen Hikmat al-Shishabi. (Ma'ariv 12/21, QY 12/22 in FBIS 12/22; QY 12/22, Ma'ariv 12/23 in FBIS 12/23; WP 12/23; NYT 12/24; WT 12/25; SARR 12/25 in FBIS 12/27; WT 12/26; NYT 12/31; MEI 1/6) (see 12/19)
Arafat cancels Fateh Central Comm. mtg. in Tunis at last minute, reportedly after learning he might be presented with a demand by the comm.'s majority to waive some of his powers, incorporate opposition into PA. (ITV 12/22 in FBIS 12/23; PR 12/24; MEI 1/20)
Arne Christianson, AIPAC legislative director and top Congressional lobbyist, announces he will leave AIPAC to become senior policy adviser to incoming House speaker Newt Gingrich. He will deal with budget, appropriations issues. Brad Gordon, current director of the House subcommittee on international operations, will replace Christianson at AIPAC. (WT 12/23: WJW 12/29)
2 IDF soldiers killed, 7 wounded when Hizballah attacks IDF post in southern Lebanon in retaliation for car bombing 12/21. (NYT, WP, WT 12/24; JP 12/31)
Palestinians, Israeli Peace Now activists begin sit-in to protest construction of 500 apartments in Efrat settlement in West Bank, nr. Jerusalem. (QY 12/22 in FBIS 12/22; PR 12/24; WT 12/31)
Hamas mbr. dies in West Bank, sparking Palestinian protests, clashes with IDF. IDF says man died when bomb he was making exploded; family says IDF killed him. (QY, VOP 12/22 in FBIS 12/22)
PM Rabin denies Israel is responsible for car bomb detonated in Beirut 12/21. (ITV 12/22 in FBIS 12/23)
UNRWA announces frmr. U.S. Amb. to Iraq April Glaspie will become agency's head of operations in o.t. (JP 12/23 in FBIS 12/23)
Morocco, Israel announce they will open liaison offices in Tel Aviv, Rabat, making Morocco 1st Arab country to establish official ties with Israel since Egypt. Morocco also to open liaison office in Gaza, but diplomatic contacts with PNA will still go through Tunis. (MM 9/1; NYT, WP, WT 9/2; NYT 9/4; WJW 9/8)
Israeli FM Peres tells Arafat that Pakistani PM Bhutto may enter Gaza after all. Pakistan say it is too late to reschedule visit. (MM 8/31; QY 8/31 in FBIS 8/31; JP 9/10)
Schools open for classes in West Bank under PNA control. (NYT, WT 9/2)
Palestinian police release last 4 Hamas mbrs. being held for 8/14 attack. (AFP 9/1 in FBIS 9/2)
Israeli cabinet approves draft of early empowerment accord. (NYT 8/24)
Arafat meets PLO officials in Tunis to discuss problems with advancing self-rule. PNC SG Muhammad Subayh links convening PNC in o.t., amendment of charter with full Israeli withdrawal, recognition of Palestinian state, deployment Palestinian forces. PLO Political Dept. head Faruq al-Qaddumi says salaries of PLO employees, soldiers have not been paid. (AFP, VOP 8/21 in FBIS 8/22; VOP 8/22 in FBIS 8/23; MEI 8/26; JP 9/3)
PNA Culture M Yasir `Abd-Rabbuh arrives in Amman for talks with Jordanian FM/PM `Abd al-Salam al-Majali on improving Palestinian-Jordanian cooperation in tourism, education, health, trade, communications. (CSM, JT, WSJ 8/22; VOP 8/23 in FBIS 8/23)
In Gaza, Palestinian police wound 6, impose curfew for 1st time to quell unrest following death of Palestinian 8/20. (FBIS, WSJ 8/22; WJW 8/25)
Palestinian Human Rights Information Center (PHRIC) demands investigation into alleged "terror tactics and death threats" against Palestinian activist Maha Nasir by PNA for her objection to Social Affairs M Intisar al-Wazir's attendance at a women's conference this wk. (WP 8/22)
Hamas suspends all dialogue with PNA until Arafat opens exec. positions on Gaza City Council to opposition mbrs. (HA 8/21 in FBIS 8/22)
IDF soldier killed in shooting incident at Nahal Oz crossing, Gaza Strip. Soldiers on duty reported shots fr. inside Gaza Strip and returned fire. Casualty may have been caused by IDF return fire. Palestinian police investigate. (NYT, WP 5/31; WJW 6/2; JP 6/11)
100s of Palestinian prisoners released fr. Qetziot ("Ansar 3") prison in implementation of 5/4 Israel-PLO accord. (NYT, WP 5/31; WT 6/1)
Hamas stages rally attended by over 2,000 in Jericho. (TJT 6/3)
Faisal Husseini, returning to Jerusalem fr. PNA mtg. in Tunis, says Palestinians will "not accept any change in the status quo" of Jerusalem, any Israeli closure of Orient House "would be a violation of the [5/4] agreement." (Qol Yisra'el 5/30 in FBIS 5/31; MM 5/31)
PECDAR (Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction) officials say PLO will be able to meet salaries of Gaza, Jericho civil servants without Israeli subsidies, but seek $300 m. in start-up assistance. (MM 5/31; WT 6/1)
Equipment for Palestinian Broadcasting Corp. held up at Tel Aviv airport for payment of unspecified taxes to Israel, according to dep. board chmn. Sam'an Khoury. (MM 5/31; WT 6/1; TJT 6/3)
PM Rabin meets visiting Russian Middle East envoy Viktor Posuvalyuk in Jerusalem. Posuvalyuk tells reporters Syria "interested in achieving peace." (MM 5/31)
