The Palestine Chronology

Social/Economic/Political

Arab World: Egyptian Pres. Mubarak and Israeli P.M. Peres meet in Alexandria (first time in five years Egyptian and Israeli leaders have met); Egypt returns ambassador to Israel, withdrawn after 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon; two states agree on arbitration over Taba; discuss Palestinian issue (NYT, WP 9/12). In Tunis, PLO Chairman Arafat meets EC representative Claude Cheysson (FBIS 9/14). Islamic Jihad denies it kidnapped American Frank Reed in West Beirut (CSM 9/12).

Other Countries: French government rejects demands for release of convicted terrorists in exchange for ending bomb campaign (WP 9/12). Washington Post reports Israeli Trade Minister Ariel Sharon visited Istanbul secretly for three days in July (WP 9/11).

Military Action

Arab World: IDF and SLA fight Shi'i guerrillas in south Lebanon; five UNIFIL soldiers wounded in crossfire; IDF use helicopter gunships and artillery against Shi'a who attacked SLA outpost.

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli officials say Ivory Coast will open embassy in Jerusalem on 9/15 (MEI 9/12).

Arab World: Negotiations over Taba end with agreemento go to arbitration, permitting 9/11 Peres-Mubarak meeting (CSM 9/12).

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: IDF intercept Palestinian Liberation Front fighters in rubber dinghy as they attempto reach Nahariya, Israeli seaside resort; fighters escape to Lebanon, but are later captured by Amal militiamen (NYT 9/11, 9/14). PLO Chairman Arafat appeals for their release (AFP 9/10). Israeli cabinet meets to set "guidelines" for Peres-Mubarak summit (NYT 9/9).

Arab World: IDF air raid aimed at Palestinian ammunition dump in Sidon devastates civilian industrial district, kills three, wounds 17, ruins at least 20 workshops and factories with little damage to dump. Raid is response to attempted Palestinian attack on Nahariya (WP, NYT 9/11).

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli Attorney General Harish orders police investigation (under news blackout) into Shin Bet scandal, after cabinet votes 14-11 not to establish government commission ofinquiry (a parliamentary victory for Likud) [NYT 7/14].

Arab World: Yasir Arafat, in interview with Der Spiegel, calls for handing the occupied territories over to UN control.

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli jets bomb two buildings 10 miles southeast of Beirut, killing 2 Palestinians and 2 Druze militiamen and injuring 4; Israeli army states targets were PFLP and DFLP bases; raid follows overnight rocket attacks on northern Galilee region, which reportedly caused no injury or damage [WP, NYT 7/15].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Representatives of EEC countries are summoned to Israeli Foreign Ministry and told they will be supporting terrorism if imminent meeting in Tunis between Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van den Broek and PLO Chairman Arafat takes place [LT 5/21]. Muhammad Ahmad Tus of Jaba, leader of group that killed 5 Israelis and wounded 16, is given life sentence by military court UP 5/23]. P.M. Peres proposes in the Knesset tripartite summit with Hussein and Mubarak, opposes dismantling of Jewish settlements in the territories apart of a future peace plan. Forty Jewish families abandon settlement near Jericho due to bankruptcy [JP 5/22].

Other Countries: In Washington, Israeli envoy Ezer Weizman asks U.S. Secretary of State Shultz to return to active role in peace process, particularly to help improve Israeli-Egyptian relations [NYT 5/22].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: P.M. Peres and the Israeli army chief of staff issue separate statements indicating that Israel has no intention of beginning a war with Syria and they see no immediate evidence that the Syrians are planning a war with Israel [NYT 5/10].

Other Countries: Yasir Arafat arrives in Togo, last stop on his 7-nation African tour in which he is discussing "Arab-African issues" [LAT 5/10].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: P.M. Peres states Israel has engaged in "quiet diplomacy" with Jordan since King Hussein's break with the PLO in February [BG, WP 4/29]. Syrian army deserter captured by Israeli army in S. Lebanon says on Israel TV that he and 2 other Syrian deserters were recruited and paid by Fateh to infiltrate Israel, take hostages at Kibbutz Manara, take the French ambassador to Israel hostage, and demand safe passage out of the country to Jordan, Egypt, or Tunisia; he states Fateh has many Syrian, Pakistani, and Iraqi recruits for similar missions [JP 4/29].

Arab World: Spokespersons for Yasir Arafat's Fateh, the DFLP, and the PFLP denounce Jordanian regime for secret contacts with Israeli government officials [FJ 5/2]. Abu Nidal's Fateh Revolutionary Council claims responsibility for 4/27 shooting of British tourist in East Jerusalem, states it was in reprisal for U.S. air raid on Libyand British "collusion" in the attack, states Briton shot was an intelligence agent [WP, PI 4/29]. Egypt, which supplies Israel with one quarter of its oil, has reduced prices by approximately 25%, saving Israeli Treasury over $50 million a year [JTA 4/29].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: P.M. Peres tells 21-member Council of Europe, in Strasbourg, that Israel is willing for Gaza Strip residentso be given Jordanian passports, states that the "only framework" that holds promise for peace between Israel and its neighbors and for solving the Palestinian problem is "direct negotiations between a Jordanian-Palestinian delegation and an Israeli delegation" [JP 4/23]. Israeli army sources state there have been 67 incidents of shooting, planting explosive devices, and throwing hand grenades and gasoline bombsince January of this year, compared with 104 during the period between August to December of 1985 [JP 4/23].

Arab World: PLO officials inAmman state Jordan has deported 7 Fateh officers from the Karameh force who sided with Yasir Arafat in conflict with 'Atallah 'Atallah (Abu Za'im) [BG 4/23; JP 4/24]. Reports from Amman indicate that 40 to 100 more Palestinians may be facing deportation as well [FJ 4/25]. Jordan has increased its restrictions on the entry of prominent pro-Fateh Palestinians from the West Bank and is turning them back at the bridges; Jordanian authorities have begun bureaucratic harassment, confiscation of passports at the border, and lengthy questioning of Fateh supporters [JP 4/23].

Other Countries: Seventeen people, including a retired Israeli general, are indicted in New York on federal charges of conspiring to sell Iran more than $2 billion worth of American weapons, in violation of U.S. arms embargo; Israeli embassy denies Israeli govt. involvement in the matter [WP, WSJ 4/23].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli bus driver Shlomo Hatuka, injured in 4/12 attack on his bus near Ramallah, dies of gunshot wounds suffered in the incident [WP, JP 4/23].

Arab World: Two members of PLO are wounded during shoot-out at PLO office in Amman; reports say 'Atallah 'Atallah (Abu Za'im) tried to shoot his way into his office after finding it locked [WP, MG 4/23]. 

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli magistrate's court in Haifa remands 10 Palestinians from inside the Green Line who are alleged to have been organized in the Palestinian resistance movement and to have killed an Israeli soldier in August 1984; some of the detainees have travelled to Cyprus and are alleged to have continued on to Syria for military training, as well as being members of the PFLP [FJ 4/25]. Yesh Gvul (There Is a Limit) organization holds press conference in West Jerusalem announcing their refusal to serve in the occupied territories [FJ 5/2]. Moshe Mendelbaum, governor of the Bank of Israel, states he will resign within 30 days; Giora Gazit, chairman of Bank Hapoalim, announces his resignation [WSJ, MG 4/22]. The number of West Bankers working inside the Green Line declined slightly last year to 47,000 each week, down from 50,000 weekly during the previous year; the number of Gazans working inside the Green Line increased from 41,000 to 42,000 weekly; the work force in the occupied territories reached 251,000 weekly last year, a 2% rise from 1984 [JP 4/21].

Arab World: PFLP announces 13 guerrilla organizations held a secret conference in Damascus last week and decided to escalate attacks against U.S. targets to avenge air strikes on Libya; the groups included the 6 Palestinian factions making up the Palestine National Salvation Front, as well as 7 unidentified "liberation movements," according to the source [JP 4/22]. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt denies meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Geneva in February, as was reported by Agence France Presse [JP 4/22].

Other Countries: P.M. Peres meets in Paris with French Pres. Francois Mitterrand and P.M. Jacques Chirac for talks on terrorism and Peres' proposal for a M. E. Marshall Plan [JP 4/22]. U.S. Justice Dept. notifies Congress it does not plan to seek prosecution of Yasir Arafat for the murders of 2 U.S. diplomats on 5/2/73 [WP, BG 4/22]. U.S. State Dept. has appealed ruling by U.S. district judge allowing PLO Permanent Observer to the UN Zuhdi Tarzi to travel to Cambridge, Mass. for a debate despite State's travel ban on Tarzi, on grounds it would lend legitimacy to the PLO [BG 4/22].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: About 50,000 mourners attend Zafir al-Masri's 2-hour funeral procession through Nablus, carrying Palestinian flags and pictures of Yasir Arafat, and chanting pro-PLO slogans [WP, CT 3/4]. P.M. Peres states Israel will not be deterred from implementing policy of "devolution" in occupied territories, will continue to hand over administrative powers to residents there [JP 3/4]. Nadim Zaru, of Ramallah, and Walid Mustafa Hamad, of al-Birah, withdraw candidacies for mayoralities of those 2 towns [JP 3/4; WP 3/5]. Plans for delegation of senior pro-Jordanian figures to visit Amman to express support for King Hussein are also shelved [JP 3/4]. Sephardic speakers at press conference called by the Jerusalem Committee for Sephardic Jewry and the World Sephardic Federation state Jewish communities in Syria and Lebanon are being neglected [JTA 3/4].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Palestinian Muhammad Mahmud Abu Dar'a, 57, is shot in the head and killed, and his son Mahmud Muhammad Abu Dar'a, 22, is wounded in separate demonstration in Balata refugee camp in which the murdered man reportedly tried to strangle an Israeli soldier; 4 Palestinians are arrested [WP, CSM, CT, JP 3/4].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: P.M. Peres states he is considering ways to promote self-rule among Palestinians in the occupied territories, outlines plans to nominate mayors in 3 major West Bank towns, would consider easing restrictions on travel to Jordan [NYT 2/27]. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Moshe Levy states 170 people were arrested during 6-day sweep in S. Lebanon, some have been transferred toprisons in Israel [NYT, TS 2/27].

Arab World: Radio Monte Carlo broadcasts statements by Nayif Hawatmah, general secretary of the DFLP, and a representative of the Palestine Communist party outlining conditions for rapprochement with Yasir Arafat's Fateh faction: (1) cancellation of the 11 February Amman agreement; (2) convening of the PNC; (3) creation of a collective leadership in the PLO [FJ 2/28].

Military Action

Arab World: Car bomb explodes outside entrance to 'Ain al-Hilwah refugee camp, near Sidon, killing driver and wounding 10; explosion occurred a half-hour before Palestinian students were to join a march to commemorate a slain Sidon leader [NYT, WP, CT 2/27].

Social/Economic/Political

Arab World: King Hussein calls on Palestinian people to decide who should lead them [NYT 2/23]. Syrian Pres. Hafiz al-Asad has called King Hussein about a joint approach to M.E. peace following Hussein's decision to suspend talks with Yasir Arafat [LT 2/22].

Other Countries: UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar summoned Israeli UN ambassador this week and demanded Israel withdraw all its invading forces from S. Lebanon, expressed concern over extensive military operations Irael carried out in S. Lebanon in violation of international law [DW 2/22]. France has freed and expelled 2 members of the Abu Nidal organization who served half of their prison terms for assassinating a PLO leader and another Palestinian in France in 1978 [NYT, LT 2/22].

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli army thins out forces in S. Lebanon, withdraws most mechanized infantry units to "security zone." Army sources confirm 2,000 Lebanese suspects were interrogated and "between 50 and 100" are still held. It is unclear how many of the estimated 3,000 Israeli troops used in the search remain in Lebanon [WP 2/23].

Other Countries: Soviet navy has increased number of vessels off Israeli coast to 3 warships, 1 spy ship, 2 support vessels [JDW 2/22].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israel plans to increase aid to El Salvador, now that a Salvadoran ambassador has been named to the disputed Israeli capital of Jerusalem [CT 2/20].

Arab World: Yasir Arafat meets with top aides in Baghdad to discuss implications of King Hussein's 2/19 speech [JP 2/21].

Other Countries: U.S. State Dept. issues statement blaming breakdown of talks between King Hussein and Yasir Arafat on the PLO, says it will continue efforts to encourage direct negotiations between Jordan and Israel, although process is entering "period of reflection" [LT, WP 2/21].

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli army clashes with Lebanese guerrillas in S. Lebanon; 1 Israeli, 8 Lebanese killed [NYT, LAT 2/21]. Lebanese sources state Israeli army has rounded up 200 people during search [NYT 2/21].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Ibrahim Abu Hamad is appointed mayor of Yatta, near Hebron; Col. Ephraim Sneh, head of the civil administration, provides Abu Hamad initial grant of $50,000 [JTA 2/19]. P.M. Peres announces Israel's willingness to allow residents ofoccupied territories greater authority in running municipal affairs and to appoint mayors for al-Birah, Ramallah, and Hebron [JP 2/17]. List of 7 willing to run al-Birah was submitted to civil administration; Ibrahim al-Far, head of Ramallah Chamber of Commerce, also submitted his candidacy. In al-Birah, opponents of the plan held a meeting on 2/12, led by former Mayor Ibrahim al-Tawil [JP 2/17]. Tel Aviv contractor Avraham Gindi pleads not guilty to charges of fraudulent West Bank land sales, breach of trust, tampering with evidence, attempts to suborn witnesses [JP 2/18]. Central Bureau of Statistics announces inflation rate for January was negative (-1.3%) for first time in 14 years [JC 2/18; DT 2/19].

Arab World: King Hussein holds talks with top Egyptian official Usama al-Baz on yesterday's Arafat-Mubarak talks [JP 2/18].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Six people were injured when bomb exploded on Petah Tikva-Tel Aviv bus on 2/14 [JTA 2/18].

Arab World: Lebanese guerrillasmbush Israeli army patrol in S. Lebanon "security zone," capturing 2 soldiers; Islamic Resistance Front claims responsibility. Israeli army immediately sweeps through more than 10 Shi'ite Muslim villages in S. Lebanon, looking for the missing [NYT, LAT 2/18; GU 3/5]. Two SLA militiamen are killed during the ambush [WP 2/18].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Group of Sephardi Jews announce founding of Committee for Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue, to counter generalization that Sephardim "hate the Arabs" [JP 1/27].

Arab World: Yasir Arafat, 9 other PLO officials meet for talks with King Hussein in Amman (first time in 3 months) [NYT 1/27]. Senior PLO official states PLO would only accept UN resolutions 242, 338 in return for "ironclad" guarantees from U.S. of PLO participation in M.E. peace conference and U.S. recognition of Palestinians' right to self-determination [NYT, WP, JP 1/27]. Pres. Husni Mubarak meets in Cairo with Israeli Cabinet member Ezer Weizman [CSM, JTA 1/29].

Military Action

Occupied PalestinelIsrael: Bomb explodes in Jerusalem restaurant, causing structural damage; 20 Palestinians are detained [JTA 1/27].

Social/Economic/Political

Arab World: Washington Post reports Yasir Arafat accused Syrian and Libyan intelligence services of instigating wave of terrorism that swept Mediterranean in recent months [WP 1/5; MG 1/6]. Libya officially denies involvement in 12/27/85 Vienna, Rome airport attacks [PI 1/5].

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli troops, SLA militia comb 3 S. Lebanese villages north of security zone, firing rocket-propelled grenades and searching for guerrillas [PI 1/5]. Israeli troops are reported to have moved 30 tanks into S. Lebanon security zone [BG 1/5]. Syria is reported to have withdrawn SAM-6, SAM-8 anti-aircraft missile batteries into Syrian territory from Lebanon's Biqa' Valley [NYT, WP 1/5].