The Palestine Chronology

On the 3d day of its attack on Iraq, the U.S. can confirm that only 18 of its 89 targets have been severely damaged or destroyed, despite having fired more laser-guided missiles in 2 days than during the entire 1991 Gulf War. Only U.S. planes stationed in Kuwait, Oman have flown; Saudi Arabia, Turkey have not permitted their bases to be used as staging grounds. (ATL, ITV 12/18 in WNC 12/22; NYT, WP, WT 12/19; MEI 12/25)

For the 2d day, U.S.-British strikes on Iraq prompt street protests across the Middle East. 15,000 Palestinians demonstrate in Nablus, while 1,000s of others protest in Bethlehem, Gaza City, Hebron, Jinin, Ramallah. PA police break up protest in Gaza City only; the PA closes some television, radio stations, news bureaus for reporting on the demonstrations. Syria's grand mufti denounces the U.S.-led operation. Pro-Iraq demonstrations are held in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen. (MM 12/18; SANA 12/18, al-Ra'i 12/19, JT 12/20 in WNC 12/22; NYT, WT 12/19; MEI 12/25)

Fmr. UNSCOM cheif inspector Scott Ritter claims that UNSCOM head Butler chose sites for inspection that he knew would provoke the Iraqis, then ordered halt to inspections on 12/13 to meet U.S. bombing time table; also says that the White House national security staff helped draft Butler's 12/15 report to ensure it contained sufficiently tough language to justify an attack. Butler denies showing his report to the U.S. in advance of its release, but National Security Adviser (NSA) Sandy Berger admits Butler briefed him personally 12/13. (WT 12/19; WP 12/20; MENA 12/20, al-Akhbar, MA 12/21 in WNC 12/22) (see 12/16)

PA police arrest 4 leading Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) mbrs., 8 journalists at march marking PFLP's 31st anniversary. (NYT, WT 12/19)

Knesset approves additional NIS 20 m. to fund expanding settlements in the West Bank, Golan. (PR 1/1)

Arafat returns to Gaza. (NYT, WP 10/29)

In Jericho, PA military court sentences 4 military intelligence officers to prison terms of 3-4 yrs. for raiding Fatah office in Ramallah 10/25. (AFP [Internet] 10/28; PR 10/30)

IDF lifts curfew on Palestinians in Israeli-controlled Hebron. (AP [Internet] 10/28; PR 11/6)

In Damascus, Syria, Turkey hold follow-up security mtg., plan to meet again in early 11/98. (ATL, SATN 10/28 in WNC 10/29) (see 10/20)

Egypt upgrades its diplomatic mission in Iran. (WP 10/29)

Amal attacks an SLA patrol in s. Lebanon, wounding 4 SLA mbrs. (VOL 10/29 in WNC 11/2)

PM Netanyahu cancels 10/29 Knesset vote on the Wye agmt. (which is expected to pass easily), predicting that the PA will not meet a 11/2 deadline to present the U.S. with a security work plan. (NYT, WP, WT 10/28; al-Ahram 10/28, VOA 10/29 in WNC 10/30; MM 10/29, 10/30; ITV 10/31, AFP 11/1 in WNC 11/6)

Israel begins construction of water reservoir for Almon settlement, Anaton IDF camp nr. Ramallah that will require confiscation of 100s of dunams of Palestinian land. Nr. Hebron, settlers place 3 trailers on 100 dunums of confiscated land for establishment of new Yatta settlement. (PR 11/6)

PA police arrests 2 Palestinians for 10/26 settler murder in Hebron. Israelis have not found killers of Palestinian slain in reprisal attack nr. Nablus, where today Palestinian protesters clash with IDF soldiers, leaving 9 injured. In addition, Fatah enforces general strikes in Bethlehem, Nablus to protest the PA's 10/25 raid on its Ramallah office. (AFP [Internet] 10/27; IDF Radio, ITV 10/27 in WNC 10/29; NYT, WP 10/28; PR 10/30; JP 11/9)

In Sidon, a car bomb explodes, killing an Islamic Jihad official, wounding 3. An SLA mbr. is killed in a Hizballah attack in s. Lebanon. (VOL 10/27 in WNC 10/28; MA 10/28 in WNC 10/29; RL 10/28 in WNC 10/30; RL 10/31 in WNC 11/6)

U.S. special envoy Ross arrives in the Middle East for the 1st time in 4 mos. (WT 9/9; WP 9/10; MEI 9/18)

CIA offers the PSF Israeli modifications to the 12/97 memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Israeli-PA security cooperation rejected by PM Netanyahu. (MM 9/11)

In Amman, PA negotiator Abbas briefs Crown Prince Hassan on talks with Israel. (Petra-JNA 9/8 in WNC 9/9)

Turkish PM Yilmaz meets with Arafat in Ramallah. (MM 9/8; JP 9/19)

The Lebanese army breaks up an armed clash btwn. Amal, Hizballah mbrs. nr. Sidon. (VOL 9/8 in WNC 9/9) (see 5/10)

In Ramallah, Arafat meets with Israeli Internal Security M Kahalani, who brings message fr. PM Netanyahu but does not have a mandate to negotiate. After mtg., Arafat says that PA-Israeli talks will continue next wk. (MM 7/24; NYT, WP 7/25; MM 7/27) 

Syria's Pres. Asad arrives in France for 2 days of talks with Pres. Chirac on the peace process, the French-Egyptian proposal for an international summit (see 5/18). This is Asad's 1st trip to a Western nation in 22 yrs. (MM 7/16; AFP 7/16 in WNC 7/20; MEI, MM, WT 7/17; AFP 7/17 in WNC 7/20; NYT 7/18; SANA, SATN, VOA 7/18 MA 7/19, Les Echos 7/20 in WNC 7/21; WT 7/21; Tishrin 7/21 in WNC 7/24; MM 7/23; al-Watan al-Arabi 7/24 in WNC 7/28; MM 7/27; MEI 7/31)

In Gaza, PA Local Government M Erakat, Egyptian Amb. to Israel Muhammad Basyuni discuss peace process, upcoming resumption of PA-Israel talks. (MENA 7/16 in WNC 7/20)

Palestinian land dealer Badawi Jawlani, suspected of selling Palestinian land to Jews, is found murdered nr. Ramallah. (YA 7/17 in WNC 7/20) (see 6/10/97)

In Washington, Secy. Albright, PM Netanyahu hold 2d day of fruitless talks aimed at restarting peace talks. Lower-level teams headed by U.S. special envoy Ross, Israeli Cabinet Secy. Nave will work over the weekend. Netanyahu spends rest of day making courtesy calls to mbrs. of Congress, attending lunch in his honor hosted by the Comm. on International Relations; does not lobby mbrs. to pressure administration to moderate its position. (MM 5/14; NYT, WP, WT 5/15)

100,000s of Palestinians across the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem turn out for 2-minute moment of silence, nonviolent "March of 1 Million" to mark 50 yrs. of dispossession (known as al-Nakba). Marches in several areas (including, Bethlehem, Gaza, Hebron, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jinin, Nablus, Ramallah) devolve into clashes with IDF, which fires live ammunition, rubber bullets, killing 5 Palestinians, wounding 200-400, making this the worst day of violence in the territories since 9/25/96. 20 Israeli soldiers, policemen and 2 civilians are also injured. Netanyahu calls demonstrations a PA "pressure tactic." (LAW, MM 5/14; IDF Radio, ITV 5/14 in WNC 5/15; NYT, WP, WT 5/15; JTV 5/14, Anatolia [Ankara], Corriere della Sera [Milan] 5/15 in WNC 5/18; LAW 5/18; WP 5/19)

50,000 Palestinians in Syria hold march in Yarmuk refugee camp to commemorate al-Nakba. (JP 5/23)

In Jerusalem, fire damages one of the wooden doors of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israel police suspect Jewish extremists. (RJ 5/14 in WNC 5/15; WP 5/15)

In Ankara, Iran, Turkey hold talks on expanding ties. (IRNA 5/14 in WNC 5/18) (see 5/4)

In Ankara, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey hold follow-up discussions on the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project. (Anatolia [Ankara] 5/14 in WNC 5/15) (see 4/26)

IDF expels 3 Lebanese civilians fr. s. Lebanon security zone for celebrating release of relative fr. SLA custody. (AFP 5/14 in WNC 5/15; RL 5/15 in WNC 5/18)

U.S. special envoy Ross meets with PM Netanyahu, who again rejects U.S. FRD proposal, claiming that PA has not backed adequate reciprocal security steps. Ross then meets with Arafat. (CSM, WP 3/30; JP 4/11)

In Amman, PA Local Government M Erakat briefs Jordan's Dep. PM Anani on U.S. special envoy Ross's mtgs. with Arafat. (JTV 3/29 in WNC 3/31)

In Washington, senior Israeli diplomats meet with AIPAC leaders at the Israeli amb.'s residence to discuss AIPAC efforts to have congressmen sign a letter urging the U.S. not to pressure Israel on FRD. AIPAC exec. dir. Howard Kohr denies group is coordinating lobbying efforts with the Israeli government, claims letter was initiated independently by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Connie Mack (R-FL); emb. wanted briefing on the letter by AIPAC rather than the senators themselves because, according to Kohr, "No one knows more about the Hill than us." (NYT 4/26)

The body of Hamas mbr. Muhieddin Sharif is found in the debris of a car explosion in Ramallah, in area A. Israel claims he was making a car bomb, but PA autopsy shows that he died from 3 gunshot wounds hours before the explosion. Sharif has been on the top of Israel's wanted list for 2 yrs. (MM 4/1; ITV 4/1, 4/2 in WNC 4/4; CSM, MM, WJW, WP, WT 4/2; MM 4/7; MEI 4/10; PR 4/17)

PSF announces seizure of 7 arms caches, weapons factories belonging to Hamas. (MM 4/14)

In Dura nr. Hebron, Palestinians demonstrate following the funeral for 3 Palestinian laborers killed by the IDF 3/10; 32 Palestinians, 1 Israeli border policeman are injured. Palestinians also protest in Bethlehem and Ramallah, where IDF injures 9 Palestinians. Also nr. Ramallah, a Jewish settler whose car is hit by a stone opens fire with live ammunition, wounding 1 Palestinian. PA, Israeli security forces hold emergency mtgs. on containing the violence. (MM 3/11; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 3/12; WT 3/13)

PM Netanyahu appoints Reserve Maj. Gen. Meir Dagan as his adviser on intelligence affairs. The new position, recommended in the Ciechanover report (see 2/16), was created to enhance coordination btwn. the PM, the intelligence bodies. (YA 3/11 in WNC 3/12)

Based on legislation passed by Congress in 1996, U.S. district judge orders Iran to pay the family of Alisa Flatow, killed in an Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in Israel 4/95, $247.5 m. in damages. The court heard no evidence that Iran planned, carried out the attack, but lawyers presented testimony fr. fmr. FBI, Israeli intelligence officials that Iran has funded Islamic Jihad. Administration officials say "this case is not what we needed at this time" when the U.S. is trying to renew relations with Iran. (WT 3/12; MM 3/24) (see 2/26/97)

American Friends of Lubavitch (AFL) hosts its 5th annual Purim party for Capitol Hill staffers. AFL also hosts an annual Hanukkah party; plans to start bimonthly discussion groups, a mentoring program where senior Jewish staffers can help younger staffers just starting their careers. All projects are meant to "make politically minded Jews more politically involved." (WJW 3/26)