The Palestine Chronology

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Denied building permits since 1948, refugees of Kadita village living in Anbara camp granted 35 dunums by Israeli Lands Administra- tion. In response to latest clashes with Arab residents in Upper Nazareth, Arab-Jewish committee formed in Jerusalem to combat increasing racism against Arabs. Law in the Service of Man (Ramallah) publishes reply to misinformation in US State Dep't. report on Israel's human rights record.

Arab World: US Sec. of State Shultz defends "strategic coorperation" with Israel during talks with HM Hassan II in Rabat. About 2,000 Lebanese and Palestinian former Ansar prisoners rearrested and interrogated by Israeli forces. Israeli military court in Nablus sentences 14 youths from Qabatyah to 2 to 3-year prison terms for stone-throwing.

MILITARY ACTION:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Dhib Mahmoud Daba'ak killed instantly by Israeli patrol while ploughing field near Tayasir, NW of Nablus; body airlifted to Jaffa for autopsy and Israel Army spokesman announces man killed by stray bullet while riding horse into firing range. Israeli forces set up checkpoints at entrances to al-Najah National University, harassing students and faculty. Booby-trapped IDF grenade explodes on doorstep of Palestinian home in Husan village; 2 other bombs discovered in search of village.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Knesset votes 55-8, with 46 abstentions, to affirm government's decision to sign agreement with Lebanon; High Court increases fines from IS2,000 to IS10,000 on 4 Jewish students convicted and sentenced by Haifa court for attacking 2 Arab students at the Technion in 1981, leaves standing their suspended 6 to 9 month jail sentences; "Fist of Defense," secret Jewish vigilante group reportedly under investigation, has claimed responsibility for slashing tires, breaking windows of Arab cars, planting bomb outside Hebron mosque; stones thrown at Israeli vehicles in Ramallah, school closed; students at Tireh women's college march in Ramallah carrying Palestinian flags, IDF disperses demonstration, closes school for remainder of academic year; several arrested in Nablus for stone throwing; 3 persons placed under house arrest for 6 months.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Parliament unanimously affirms agreement with Israel; text of withdrawal agreement published; Gemayel says Shultz should return to Middle East to assist Lebanon negotiate withdrawal of Syrian forces, negotiations will begin this week in Tunis with PLO on withdrawal of its forces; Fateh Central Committee meets in Damascus to deal with undisciplined behavior of military unit in Bekaa Valley; pamphlets prepared by Fateh rebels accuse Arafat of plotting to sell out Palestinian cause to US, Israel and reactionary Arab regimes.

US and Other Countries: US intelligence officials reportedly have evidence linking the government of Iran with April 18 bombing of US Embassy in Beirut.

Casualties:

IDF reports one man killed when bomb he was trying to plant near IDF position in Sidon explodes.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Arens tells Likud Knesset faction that Israel and Lebanon will soon reach agreement, characterizes war as first one Israel fought which has been followed immediately by negotiations; Treasury increases export subsidy by $150m, adds 1% levy on foreign currency purchases; mother of IDF reservist (sentenced to third prison term for refusing to serve in occupied territories) begins protest at Defense Ministry; on orders from Defense Minister Arens, occupation authorities arrest more than 50 Palestinians, including 38 students from Ramallah, on suspicion of inciting an epidemic of psychosomatic illness; US medical team visits Hebron, WHO team visits Jenin; police arrest 10 suspects after 2 Israeli bus passengers injured by stones in Jerusalem; Qalqilya and Assoun under curfew after stone-throwing at settlers and vehicles; curfew on Tulkarm refugee camp continues; West Bank and Gaza settlers warn Defense Minister Arens they cannot prevent vigilante action if army does not stop stone-throwing; military court in Nablus sentences 3 Palestinians to 20-25 years for infiltrating from Jordan, attacking IDF patrol in January 1982.

Arab Governments: Moroccan envoys arrive in Tunisia, Sudan, Kuwait to explore prospect of Arab summit.

US and Other Countries: ICRC says purpose of its investigation into West Bank illnesses was to insure that hospitalized victims were receiving adequate medical treatment, not to conduct inquiry into causes; National Association of Arab Americans sues Justice Dept. for release of documents it says support allegation that Pentagon official passed secrets to Israel in 1978.

Military Action:

Car bomb explodes near pro-Israel Voice of Hope television station studio on Lebanese side of border near Metulla.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Municipal park in Jerusalem dedicated to memory of Emil Grunzweig, Peace Now demonstrator killed by grenade on February 10; guarded by 850 police, 1000 supporters of Committee Against the War in Lebanon march in Jerusalem for freedom of expression and against political violence; Foreign Minister Shamir says Israel will do utmost to strengthen ties with African regimes, is grateful to Zaire for being first Black African nation to resume diplomatic ties with Israel; Likud MK Y. Hurwitz says Israel has no choice but to sell arms to any country willing to buy them; 9 yeshiva students arrested after windows of Arab-owned stores smashed in Jerusalem's Old City, 5 charged; police fire shots and teargas, arrest 94, during protests against Carter visit in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm, Yatta, Halhoul, BeitJala, Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus; 3 women soldiers, 1 settler injured by stones in Hebron during protests against Defense Minister Arens visit; bombs discovered in two Hebron schools; Halhoul girls' high school closed until April; Jewish settlers fire on stone-throwing youths at Dheisheh camp and in Bethlehem.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat has talks with King Hussein at New Delhi Non-Aligned summit.

Arab Governments: Mubarak says he is in no hurry to resume diplomatic relations with Arab states that cut ties after 1979 peace treaty with Israel; Information Minister Iskander says Syria has no objection to withdrawing its troops from Lebanon if Israel does so at same time and if Lebanese authority and sovereignty over all Lebanon are established.

Casualties:

IDF denies it has offered to exchange 800 prisoners for 8 IDF, but confirms negotiations for prisoner exchange in progress; International Committee of Red Cross confirms prisoner exchange will take place shortly.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: 2000 demonstrators in Tel Aviv demand Sharon's removal as Minister with Portfolio; national conference of Arab organizations in Shfar Am protests transfer of 150,000 dunums of land to Misgav Regional Council, calls on Defense Ministry to close firing ranges in Triangle area so that farming can resume; 8 settlers from Kiryat Arba fire at house in Hebron, wound 4 year old girl inside; windows of two Israeli cars smashed by rocks near al-Amari camp outside Ramallah, driver of one fires several shots but not injuries reported; IDF officer stoned in Nablus, soldier stoned outside Askar camp.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese leaders end 4 days of talks with Habib, who travels to Jerusalem.

Military Action:

Artillery duels between Druze and Phalange militia near Baabda.

Casualties:

5 killed, 9 wounded in Druze-Phalange fighting.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan says Israel may face 100 years of terrorism, that in practice the war in Lebanon has not ended, and one cannot solve all the problems of terrorism in one war, that if the IDF remains in Lebanon for long it may have to mount an intensive campaign to root out terrorist cells as was done in the Gaza Strip after the 1967 war; Defense Minister Sharon flatly rejects any PLO participation in future peace talks with Jordan, and dismisses Iraq's declaration of recognition of Israel's security needs as merely effort to get US arms for war against Iran; Israeli Foreign Minister legal adviser Elyakim Rubenstein says the recall of Egypt's Ambassador to Israel is a violation of the Camp David accords; Avid Kedar, head of Foreign Ministry's Egypt Department, says contacts between Israel and Egypt frozen since Peace for Galilee Campaign; Sgan Nitzav Albert Hayut, new director of Beersheba prison announces 500 security prisoners to be moved to new maximum security prison, equipped with latest electronic monitors, near Nablus; attorney Nissim Shakar of the Committee for Jaffa's Arabs says they will appeal proposed law that non-Jews must close shops on Yom Kippur as well as own religious holidays, and not transport goods on Saturday and Jewish holidays; Israeli officials announce requests by Palestinians to visit relatives in Lebanon decline due to security situation, 5 Israeli Palestinians disappeared recently in Lebanon; bomb near Zedekiah's Cave outside Jerusalem's Damascus Gate critically wounds a Palestinian worker; military authorities surround Najah University, effectively closing the campus, prevent Israeli Association for Civil Rights representative from entering, detain 9 student council members; in Nablus students stone troops who use tear gas and close off market area; rock throwing incidents in Ramallah, al-Bireh aid Dheisheh camp, now defined as District of Binyamin, also in jenin where placards and leaflets are found attributed to National Liberation Movement denouncing as treasonous Arafat's and Hussein's attempt to reach accommodation with Israel.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Chairman Arafat goes to Moscow; 5 Palestinian leaders and Lebanese Communist Party meet in Tripoli.

Arab Governments: King Hussein tells local leaders that he has a letter from Reagan commiting the US to pressure Israel to restore Arab rights in the occupied territories, and that time is running out for achieving a unified Arab approach by March; Moroccan Foreign Ministry announces agreement with Britain on Arab League delegation to include non-PLO Palestinian; Egyptian Socialist Labor Party poll of 1,486 persons shows 82% want Israeli ambassador expelled, 76To want to sever relations with Israel.

US and Other Countries: State Department says Israeli settlement promotion campaign is unfortunate and counterproductive; Administration officials say US is counting on King Hussein to declare his readiness to join talks on basis of Reagan plan if the PLO and Saudi Arabia support it, if progress is made on troop withdrawals from Lebanon, and if Israel temporarily halts settlement activity; Secretary of State Shultz meets for 2 hours with 14 members of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and leading Jewish Republicans, tells them of growing fears that Israel and Syria have tacit agreement to keep status quo in Lebanon, they tell him they want US to support Israel's demand for normalization of relations with Lebanon; delegation of Conservative MPs from Britain meet with Begin, give him message of support from Prime Minister Thatcher; European Parliament calls for establishment of a Palestinian state as a factor in a Middle East settlement, direct PLO-Israel dialogue, immediate halt to settlements in the West Bank, Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, recognition of PLO as representative of Palestinian people if it drops from its charter all paragraphs calling for Israel's destruction, and sovereignty of all states in the region; Habib arrives in Israel.