The Palestine Chronology

EU special envoy Moratinos arrives in Syria. (SANA 6/18 in WNC 6/19)

In Washington, U.S. cosmetics heir Ron Lauder holds confidential mtg. with Syrian Amb. Moualem to discuss ways of restarting the Syrian-Israeli talks, then briefs Secy. of State Albright. Israel's Dir. of Policy Planning Bar-Ilan says that the mtg. was not authorized, but was welcome, by Israel. (MM 7/7)

Israeli finance M Dan Meridor, a Likud mbr., resigns, saying he has lost faith in Netanyahu's leadership, the PM deliberately sabotaged his agreement with the Bank of Israel for currency liberalization. (MM 6/18; Globes [Internet], ITV 6/18 in WNC 6/19; MM, NYT, WJW, WP, WT 6/19; YA 6/19 in WNC 6/20; Globes [Internet] 6/19 in WNC 6/23; ITV 6/19, MA 6/20 in WNC 6/23; Globes [Internet] 6/19 in WNC 6/24; CSM, MM 6/20; WP 6/26; MEI 6/27)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Appropriations Subcomm. chmn., announces that the subcomm. will forward legislation to the full Appropriations Comm. without the annual $2.1 b. in foreign aid to Egypt; says Egypt is obstructing the peace process by refusing to attend multilateral talks, refusing Pres. Clinton's invitation to Washington 9/96, leading the effort to reimpose the Arab boycott, moving closer to Libya. State Dept. says that the administration stands behind its foreign aid request. (al-Wafd 6/20, al-Quds al-Arabi 6/23 in WNC 6/25; WT 6/21; MM 6/25; MM 8/14)

Syrian VP Khaddam arrives in Iran for talks with Pres. Rafsanjani on the peace process, Turkish intervention in n. Iraq, 6/10 House decision. (IRNA 6/18 in WNC 6/19; SA 6/19 in WNC 6/20)

After 11 mos. in office. Turkish PM Erbakan turns his resignation into Pres. Suleyman Demirel, says he is willing to enter a new coalition under Ciller. Legally it is Demirel who must ask Ciller to form a new government; he has not stated if he will abide by the new coalition arrangement. (AFP 6/18 in WNC 6/19; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/19; MEI 6/27) (see 6/13)

UN Secy. Gen. Annan accepts a U.S. deal (passed by the House 6/11, the Senate 6/17) under which the UN would agree to reduce U.S. dues to 20% of the total budget by 1999, reduce U.S. peacekeeping to 25% by 1999, tighten the UN budget, reduce staff in exchange fr. the U.S. paying off $819 m. of its $1.3-b. debt over 3 yrs. The draft legislation must now be approved by the full Congress. (WT 6/19)

In Hebron, IDF clashes with Palestinians for 5th straight day, wounding 5. (MM 5/18; NYT 6/19; MEI 6/27)

In s. Lebanon, 3 SLA soldiers, 1 civilian are killed, 2 civilians are wounded by a roadside bomb. Israel blames Hizballah; responds by making in incursion into Jazzin, far n. of the self-declared security zone, arresting a number of youths, including a Lebanese soldier; submits complaint to ILMG, accusing Hizballah of planting the bomb. (VOL 6/18 in WNC 6/19; MM 6/26; MEI, MM 6/27)

In Amsterdam, a 2-day mtg. of EU leaders closes. Attendees issue statement for the 1st time urging Israel not to rule out the possibility of a Palestinian state. (MM 6/18)

In Washington, U.S. secy. of state Albright informs visiting Crown Prince Hassan of U.S. plans to give Jordan $100 m./yr. in aid for the next 5 yrs. (al-Aswaq, al-Dustur, JT 6/17, RJ 6/18 in WNC 6/19; MM, WT 6/18; WJW 6/19; JT 6/19 in WNC 6/20; al-Dustur 6/20 in WNC 6/23; MEI 6/27)

The Senate passes a version of House Res. 1757 that contains a section prohibiting most financial transactions with "state sponsors of terrorism," including Syria. A conference comm. must now work out the differences btwn. the bills. (WJW 7/24; MEI 7/25) (see 6/11)

6 wks. after the IDF forcibly evacuated settlers fr. their outpost nr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus (5/6), several settler families are living on the disputed site, guarded by IDF reservists, while IDF bulldozers break ground to expand the settlement and build a permanent IDF lookout. (YA 6/17 in WNC 6/19) (see 5/7)

Hani `Abd al-Rahim Sayigh, the Saudi accused of participating in the 6/25/96 al-Khobar barracks bombing, is extradited to the U.S. from Canada to provide testimony that could link Iran, Syria to the attack. Under his deal with the FBI, Sayigh will plead guilty to plotting a different attack that never took place in exchange for telling all he knows about the al-Khobar incident. (WP, WT 6/18; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/19; MM 6/24) (see 3/30)

Iraq announces that it will begin rebuilding, expanding the al-Tanf border post with Syria in the next wk. (MEI 6/13; WT 6/18; MM 6/30) (see 6/2, 6/4, 6/14)

In Hebron, IDF troops clash with Palestinian demonstrators for the 4th day, wounding 17 Palestinian. An AP photographer is attacked, kicked in the head by a Jewish settler; IDF soldiers do not intervene. (WP, WT 6/18; MEI 6/27)

Visiting delegation of American Reform and Conservative Jewish leaders convinces PM Netanyahu to shelve the legislation that would give Orthodox rabbinical courts exclusive jurisdiction over government recognition of conversions to Judaism (see 4/1), form 7-mbr. comm. (comprising 5 Orthodox, 1 Reform, 1 Conservative) to investigate the issue. (WT 6/20)

PA Justice M Frayh Abu-Madayn announces that Palestinians who sell or facilitate the sale of land to Jews will face the death penalty. (NYT, WT 5/6; NYT 5/16; JP 5/17; IDF Radio 5/19 in WNC 5/21; WT 5/21)

U.S. says that it has repeatedly protested to Israel "at the highest level" over complaints Israel has threatened to take away the U.S. passports of Palestinians who do not give up claims of residency in Jerusalem, stresses that Palestinian Americans cannot lose their U.S. citizenship involuntarily. (WT 5/6) (see 5/4)

In Cairo, EU special envoy Moratinos discusses peace process with Arab League secy. Gen. Ismat `Abd al-Majid. (RE 5/5 in WNC 5/6)

Israel's new amb. to Jordan, Oded Eran, fmr. head of the Israeli delegation to the donor conferences, assumes his post in Amman. (RJ 5/5 in WNC 5/6)

U.S. releases Hamas political leader Abu Marzuq after 22 mos. in detention, flies him to Jordan. (AFP 5/5, JTV, al-Ra'i, RJ, RMC 5/6 in WNC 5/7; NYT, WT 5/6; RJ 5/6, JT 5/7 in WNC 5/8; MM 5/7; WJW 5/8; WP 5/9; SA 5/9 in WNC 5/13; mei 5/16; JP 5/17; al-Wasat 5/19-25 in WNC 5/21) (see 5/4)

PA policeman shoots, kills Palestinian at a checkpoint in Hebron. (WP 5/6; MEI 5/16)

IDF demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in Hebron's H2, saying they were constructed without permits. (LAW 5/6; WT 5/7; PR 5/16) (see 4/23)

Israeli court charges Manbar with assisting the enemy, providing information to an outside enemy with the intent of harming state security, providing Iran with means to manufacture chemical weapons in exchange for $16 m. (IDF Radio 5/5 in WNC 5/6; MA 5/7 in WNC 5/8; JP 5/17) (see 4/25)

Iranian FM Velayati arrives in Cairo on a 2-day visit to invite Pres. Mubarak to attend the upcoming (12/97) OIC conference in Tehran. This is the 1st high-level contact btwn. Iran, Egypt since Mubarak accused Tehran in 1995 of trying to have him killed. (IRNA 5/5 in WNC 5/6; NYT, WP, WT 5/6; IRNA, RE, SA 5/6 in WNC 5/7; MM 5/8, 5/9)

The Jordanian Popular Movement merges with the National Constitutional Party. (JT 5/6 in WNC 5/7; JT 5/7 in WNC 5/8) (see 2/28)

Hizballah detonates 3 roadside bombs in s. Lebanon, wounding 5 civilians, 2 SLA mbrs. (RL 5/5 in WNC 5/6, 5/7; WP 5/7)

PA delegation led by Arafat dep. Abbas, Local Government M Erakat arrives in Washington, meets with Secy. of State Albright, special envoy Ross. (WT 4/10; CSM, MM, PR, WP, WT 4/11; MM 4/14)

In Hebron, 7 Palestinians are wounded by rubber bullets in the latest round of clashes with the IDF. Israeli Justice M Hanegbi urges security forces to be tougher on Palestinian demonstrators. (MM 4/10; IDF Radio 4/10 in WNC 4/11; WT 4/11)

German court rules that Iran's top leaders ordered the 1992 assassination of 4 Kurdish dissidents in Germany. In response, EU mbr. nations (excluding Greece) withdraw their ambs. to Iran in protest to that government's support of terrorism. Iran responds in kind. (CSM 4/11; AFP 4/11 in WNC 4/14; VIRI 4/11 in WNC 4/15; MM 4/15; VIRI 4/18 in WNC 4/21; CSM 4/25; WT 4/28; NYT 4/30; MEI 5/2; al-Ahd [Beirut] 5/2 in WNC 5/7; WJW 5/15)

Jordan's King Hussein travels to Gaza, Israel to try to break deadlock in PA-Israeli talks. As a result, U.S. envoy Ross, who had planned to return to Washington today because no agmt. seemed forthcoming, decides to stay. After an evening of talks, Arafat, Netanyahu agree to a compromise on further redeployment suggested by the king, opening the way for a Hebron deal to be signed. (IDF Radio, ITV, JTV, RJ, RMC 1/12, IDF Radio, QY, RJ 1/13 in WNC 1/14; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/13; CSM, MM 1/14; VOA 1/14 in WNC 1/15; WJW 1/16; JTV 1/16 in WNC 1/21; PR 1/17; al-Nahar 1/21 in WNC 1/24; MEI 1/24)

12 hrs. after assuming his post, Atty. Gen. Bar-On resigns amid rumors that he was appointed in exchange for a promise to arrange a plea bargain that would end the corruption trial of one of PM Netanyahu's allies, fmr. Interior M Arye Deri. (MM 1/13; NYT 1/24; JP 1/25; NYT 1/27; MEI 2/7) (see 1/10)

Syrian-Lebanese Joint Higher Council signs 3 agmts. on joint border offices and facilitating transportation btwn. the 2 countries, taxation, encouraging investment. (RMC 1/12 in WNC 1/14)