The Palestine Chronology

Prime Min. Shamir indicates he will head Israeli delegation to the peace conference, not FM David Levy. Invitations sent to the parties by the U.S., USSR had called for talks at the "ministerial level," a diplomatic phrase usually interpreted to mean participation by officials holding rank of foreign minister or below. (NYT 10/24)

Arab foreign ministers representing Syria, Egypt, Jordan, along with representative of Lebanon's foreign ministry and head of PLO political department meet in Damascus to discuss strategies for peace conference. They were later joined by foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, representing the Gulf states, and Morocco, representing North African states (except Libya). (MEM 10/23)

Strike called for 10/22 by three groups in o.t. partially observed in E. Jerusalem, elsewhere in West Bank, but not in Nablus, Jenin. Residents of Gaza city observe strike, but not those in the refugee camps. (MEM 10/25)

Members of the Jewish Ateret Cohanim seminary move into a house in the Muslim quarter of E. Jerusalem. Group claims the house was owned by Jews driven out by Palestinian rioting in 1929. Settlers occupying a building in Silwan seized 10/9 from Palestinian residents petition Israeli high court of justice to allow them to remain. Group also seeks permission to move into four other buildings from which they had been evicted by police. (MEM 10/24)

European Community official announces EC, Israel have reached agreement over long-standing dispute over status, place of residence of EC official who will be sent to monitor EC economic aid to Palestinians in the o.t. EC had sough to post the official in the territories; Israel objected, seeking to place the representativen Tel Aviv instead. The EC has set aside $100 million in aid for Palestinians in the o.t. (MEM 10/24)

Human rights organization Middle East Watch issues report on condition of 18,000-20,000 stateless Palestinians in Kuwait. The Palestinians, who were either born in Gaza during the British Mandate, during the period of Egyptian administration of Gaza (1948-67), or who are descendants of those born there, have lived in Kuwait for decades but do not hold citizenship in any country. They do not carry Israeli Gaza identity cards but merely hold Egyptian travel documents, and are thus unable to legally live anywhere. According to the report, Kuwait intends to expel these persons to Iraq 11/15. (MEM 20/24)

Four Israeli F-15 fighter planes fly on a reconnaissance mission over western Iraq. Iraqi officials claim the planes entered from Syrian airspace and left over Saudi airspace. U.S. strongly protested the action. One U.S. official claimed the planes traveled over Jordan, not Syria and Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials claim U.S. is not providing enough information on Iraqi missile sites in Iraq, that Israel must gather such information itself. (NYT, WP 10/9; WP 10/10)

Israeli newspaper Qol Ha'ir reports Sharon and the militant religious Ateret Cohanim movement have prepared a plan to establish 26 "settlement points" within Palestinian neighborhoods in the Jerusalem area, including 200 housing units in Silwan on eastern outskirts of East Jerusalem (HaAretz 10/4 in FBIS 10/4)

Settlers from Golan present PM Shamir a five-year plan for increased Israeli settlement on the Golan Heights. The plans call for expenditures of $200 million in roads, infrastructure, and for increasing number of settlers from present figure of 11,500 to 40,000 within four years. Shamir accepts plan by noting there was "no shadow of doubt" about Israel's future control of Golan. (MEM 10/4)

Israeli newspaper HaAretz reports that Israel, Germany have failed to reach an understanding over Israel's request for DM10 billion in credito assist settling Jewish immigrants. Among other reasons, Israel's request was based upon the fact that the former East Germany never paid reparations to Israel as did West Germany [see 8/28]. (HaAretz 10/4 in FBIS 10/8)

As Secy. of State Baker prepares to leave Amman for Jerusalem, King Hussein announces Jordan will participate in peace conference, support end to Arab League boycott in return for halt in settlement-building. Hussein states he has contacted Palestinians about joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation. Action brings together Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in support of U.S.-led efforts to convene Middle East peace conference. Baker meets with Palestinian delegation (Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi, and Zakariya al-Agha) in E. Jerusalem concerning formation of joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation to peace talks. Baker tells them PLO can have no direct relationship with Palestinian delegation to peace talks, nor can Palestinians from E. Jerusalem participate in initial stages of talks because of categorical Israeli refusal to accede to any gesture which might suggest that sovereignty of Jerusalem negotiable. Baker reaffirmed U.S. belief that E. Jerusalem is part of occupied territories, and that Palestinians alone have right to choose their own representatives. (NYT, WP, 7/22; MEM 7/23)

Baker next begins talks with Prime Min. Shamir in Jerusalem on peace talks in wake of numerous Arab commitments to agree to U.S.-proposed terms for such negotiations. Baker states that Arab assent to attend conference means willingness to engage in face-to-face negotiations with Israel. Pres. Bush again calls on Israel to curb settlement building, urges Israel to accept Arab offer to end economic boycott in return for settlement freeze. Seven Arab nations have now agreed to such linkage. (NYT, WP, MEM 7/22)

In interview with Egyptian press, British Prime Min. John Major calls Israeli settlements "illegal," "damaging" to peace process, including those in E. Jerusalem. (MEM 7/22)