The Palestine Chronology

Anticipating protests following Friday prayers, Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza, allows plain clothes PA police to deploy in the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount to form a cordon to prevent Palestinians fr. throwing stones. The PA police, Waqf officials largely succeed in restraining the crowd, but when a handful of the 8,000 Palestinian worshipers do throw rocks, Israeli forces open fire, killing 2 Palestinians, wounding 60. At sundown IDF troops raid the Haram al-Sharif to chase off Palestinians, lower a Palestinian flag. In total, 9 Palestinians are killed, 450 injured during the day; a 10th dies of wounds received earlier. (AP, JP [Internet], LAW, MM 10/6; MENA 10/6, IRNA, TT 10/7 in WNC 10/10; NYT, WP, WT 10/7; AYM 10/7 in WNC 10/12)

The largest rally in support of the Palestinians is held in Amman, where 30,000 Jordanians, Palestinians attempt to march on the Israeli emb. but are dispersed by Jordanian police firing tear gas. In Baqa` camp, Jordanian police fire on 2,000 Palestinian demonstrators, killing 1, injuring at least 50. The incidents prompt the government to ban public protests. In Damascus, Syrian police use tear gas to disperse protesters attempting to march to the U.S. emb. In Tunis, Arafat, Pres. Zine Abidine Ben Ali participate in a rally attended by 10,000 Tunisians. Crowds also demonstrate in Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Oman, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Yemen, as well as in Berlin, Canberra, Geneva, the Hague, London, Prague, Reykjavik, and Vienna. In Canada, rallies are held in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo, and Windsor. In the U.S., protests are staged in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dearborn, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Ottawa, Phoenix, Raleigh, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Tampa, Washington. (BBC, MM, REU, UPI 10/6; AFP, CTK [Prague], EFE [Madrid] 10/6, JT 10/8 in WNC 10/10; Toronto Star, WP, WT 10/7; al-Quds 10/7, AFP 10/11 in WNC 10/12; REU 10/8; WP 10/10; MM 10/11; Daily Star 10/12 in WNC 10/13; MEI 10/13; SA 10/16 in WNC 10/18; Le Monde 11/7 in WNC 11/8)

Israeli, PA teams open 2 sets of talks nr. Washington: final status issues at Andrews air force base (AFB) and interim issues at Bolling AFB. (MM, WT 6/13; NYT, WP, WT 6/14; WP 6/15)

Funeral ceremonies for Syrian pres. Hafiz al-Asad are held in Damascus, Latakia, and Asad's childhood home of Qardaha, where he is laid to rest in the family mausoleum. Attending are the heads of state of Egypt, France, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Turkey, and Yemen; the heads of the PA and Hizballah; plus senior reps. from Iraq, Russia, the U.S. Secy. of State Albright meets alone with Bashar al-Asad for 15 mins., says he is ready to continue discussions on talks with Israel. (MM, WT 6/13; ATL, DUS, HINA [Zagreb], Interfax, IRNA, ITAR-TASS, MENA, al-Quds, Rompres [Bucharest] 6/13 in WNC 6/14; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 6/14; MA, al-Quds 6/14 in WNC 6/15; JP, MEI, MM 6/16; Sabah [Istanbul] 6/15 in WNC 6/21; MIL 6/19 in WNC 6/27; MM 6/20; MEI 6/30)

After a wk. of coalition bargaining to keep his government together following the 6/7 Knesset vote, PM Barak's main partner, Shas (17 Knesset seats), announces it will quit the coalition at the next cabinet mtg. unless Barak agrees to bail out its financially strapped schools, to remove its schools fr. Education Min. oversight, and to legalize its pirate radio stations. Shas's departure would leave Barak with a minority government. (MM 6/13; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/14; MM 6/15; MA 6/16 in WNC 6/19; WP 6/20; WJW 6/22)

The IDF bulldozes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem to make way for a road. This is the 13th house demolition in East Jerusalem this yr. (WT 6/14)

In retaliation for Hizballah rocket attacks on n. Israel 5/4, the IDF carries out airstrikes on Lebanese power stations, shells the Beirut+nDamasucs highway, strikes Hizballah targets. At least 1 Lebanese civilian is injured. Large areas of Beirut and n. and e. Lebanon are left without power. The repairs on the 2 power stations caused by Israel's last airstrikes in early 2/00 were just completed a wk. ago. Hizballah fires a 2d round of rockets at n. Israel, but Israel decides not to respond. (WP 5/5; NYT, WP, WT 5/6; al-Quds 5/7 in WNC 5/10; MM 5/8; JP 5/12; MEI 5/19)

Iran holds run-off parliamentary elections. Initial results show reformers allied with Pres. Khatami taking 52 of the 66 remaining open seats, giving them a total of around 200 of the 290 seats. (NYT 5/6; NYT, WP 5/7) (see 2/18)

Turkey elects reformist judge Necdet Sezer as its new pres. He will take office when outgoing pres. Demirel's term ends on 5/16. (MM 5/5; ATL 5/5 in WNC 5/8; WP 5/6)

PA police detain Omar Assaf, head of the Palestinian teachers' union in the West Bank, and close Love and Peace Radio in Ramallah for airing an interview with him on 5/3. (Workers Advice Center [Ramallah] press release 5/5; LAW 5/8; JT [Internet] 5/11) (see 5/3)

Israel's State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg fines PM Barak's One Israel/Labor party $3.4 m. and places it under criminal investigation for allegedly carrying out a "systematic and massive" illegal fundraising scheme that netted more than $2 m. for Barak's spring 1999 campaign. In total, 12 of the 31 parties that took part in the 5/99 elections (and 10 of the 15 parties now in the Knesset) are charged with campaign finance violations. (MM 1/27; CSM, MM, NYT, WP 1/28; WP 1/29; WT 1/30; WJW 2/3; JP 2/4)

Israel rejects plans for construction of a new terminal for the joint Aqaba-Elat airport project with Jordan, citing environmental concerns. (JT 1/28 in WNC 1/31)

In Ankara, Turkey, Iran close a 2-day session of their joint economic commission, which focused on expanding trade ties, particularly in the energy sector. The sides sign a memorandum of understanding on construction of a natural gas pipeline. (ATL, IRNA 1/26 in WNC 1/27; ATL 1/27 in WNC 1/28)

Israeli historian Teddy Katz says that he has uncovered credible evidence that Israeli troops massacred 200 Palestinians in the village of Tantura on the day Israel came into being on 5/15/48, possibly making the Tantura incident larger than the infamous Dayr Yasin massacre of 4/9/48. (MEI 1/28)

Lebanese pres. Lahoud, PM Huss receive an EU delegation for talks on the peace process. Lebanon says Israel's recent actions on the Syrian track raise serious doubts about Israel's desire to reach peace. (RL 1/19 in WNC 1/21; RL 1/20 in WNC 1/24)

The 4 Jordanian Hamas leaders deported on 11/21 appeal to the High Court against their expulsion to Qatar. (JT 1/18 in WNC 1/19; NYT 1/19; JT 1/19 in WNC 1/21; JT 1/20 in WNC 1/24)

At the close of 2 days of talks in Ankara, Iran, Turkey sign a memorandum of understanding on enhancing bilateral cooperation in political, economic, security, cultural fields. (ATL, IRNA 1/18 in WNC 1/19)