Israel offers to allow back 10 Palestinians mistakenly deported. The 10 say they would like to return immediately, but that the only crossing point has been mined by Israel. Israel offers to allow...
Israel expels 415 suspected Muslim activists, 251 from the West Bank, 164 from the Gaza Strip to Lebanon. High Court of Justice temporarily blocks the expulsions, then votes 5 to 2 to permit them...
"Extended Palestinian leadership" concludes 3-day meeting in Tunis. Decision on whether or not to participate in 12/7-17 round of negotiations is delayed until after consultations are held with...
PLO political advisor Nabil Shaath reports the PLO has received assurances from U.S. calling for total freeze of Israeli settlements in o.t., stating that granting of $10 billion loan guarantees...
Pres. Haim Herzog formally invites Yitzhak Rabin to form a new government. (WP 7/2)
PM-designate Yitzhak Rabin calls on Fin. Min. Yitzhak Modai to stop releasing fund for construction in...
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Israel offers to allow back 10 Palestinians mistakenly deported. The 10 say they would like to return immediately, but that the only crossing point has been mined by Israel. Israel offers to allow an intl. org. to escort them back through 1 of 3 Lebanese-controlled crossing points. (NYT 1/1; Qol Yisra'el 12/31 in FBIS 12/31, 1/4)
Lebanon rejects 12/30 French proposal to place the deported Palestinians under the provisional care of UNIFIL in Lebanese-controlled territory. PM Rafiq al-Hariri meets with Russian then U.S. amb. to Lebanon. (NYT 12/31; VOL 12/31 in FBIS 1/4)
Al-Quds reports that the Palestinian delegation to peace talks has unanimously rejected PM Rabin's 12/27 invitation to an informal meeting. (al-Quds 12/31 in FBIS 1/5)
Four Palestinian factions (PFLP, DFLP-Hawatima faction, PPSF, PLF) issue statement criticizing Palestinian leadership's 12/27 statement for its lack of a plan of political action to counter the 12/17 deportations. (QPAR 1/2 in FBIS 1/4)
PLO advisor and Palestinian delegation steering comm. head Nabil Shaath says the deportations and the peace process are "two battles which have to be led separately," and the Palestinians may have to "bring it [the deportations] to the table of negotiations." (AFP 12/31 in FBIS 1/4)
Ha'Aretz reports that the o.t. security service Shin Bet initially gave PM Rabin a list of 6 Hamas leaders to be deported, and came up with 1 more name when asked to expand the list. Shin Bet was later surprised at the scope of expulsions the IDF was then ordered to carry out. (WP 1/1; Ha'Aretz 12/31 in FBIS 1/4)
Israel expels 415 suspected Muslim activists, 251 from the West Bank, 164 from the Gaza Strip to Lebanon. High Court of Justice temporarily blocks the expulsions, then votes 5 to 2 to permit them. UNIFIL forces try to block buses carrying deportees from traveling through their territory. Lebanese army blocks the deportees from entering govt.- controlled territory, leaving them stranded between Israeli and Lebanese checkpoints. (WP 12/17, 12/18; Qol Yisra'el, Radio Lebanon, VOL 12/17, 12/18 in FBIS 12/18; NYT 12/18)
Eighth round of Arab-Israeli peace talks ends. Arab parties boycott 12/17 meetings to protest deportations. PLO announces talks suspended until deportees allowed back. (Tunisian Republic Radio 12/17 in FBIS 12/18; NYT, WP 12/18)
Pres. Bush meets separately with all delegations involved in peace talks for 20-25 minutes each; he meets with Palestinians and Jordanians together, then with Jordanians alone for 15 minutes. (Radio Jordan 12/17 in FBIS 12/18)
Hamas denounces the expulsions as "total war"; their legitimate targets, previously limited to soldiers, now include "every Zionist in Palestine." Arab MKs condemn deportation ruling, threaten to withdraw support of governing coalition. UNLU issues supplement to call no. 90 condemning the deportations. (IDF Radio 12/17 in FBIS 12/18; AFP 12/17, Sanaa VOP 12/18 in FBIS 12/21)
U.S. State Department "strongly condemns the action of deportation". Pres.-elect Bill Clinton is critical, though not condemnatory of the expulsion. UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali asks Israel to "rescind the expulsion order." (NYT 12/18
"Extended Palestinian leadership" concludes 3-day meeting in Tunis. Decision on whether or not to participate in 12/7-17 round of negotiations is delayed until after consultations are held with Arab states, Moscow, and Washington. (AFP, MENA 11/23 in FBIS 11/24)
Ten Palestinian factions issue statement denouncing Israeli-Jordanian draft agenda, urging withdrawal from peace talks. (QPAR 11/23 in FBIS 11/25)
Israeli undercover unit shoots dead 12- year-old Palestinian boy near Jerusalem. (IDF Radio 11/23 in FBIS 11/23; MM 11/23; NYT 11/24)
In address to military graduates, King Hussein reiterates his call for democracy in Iraq, offers no apology to Gulf states for Jordan's stance in Gulf war, and warns Islamists not to use extremism to achieve political goals. (MM 11/23; RJN 11/23 in FBIS 11/24; NYT 11/24)
PLO political advisor Nabil Shaath reports the PLO has received assurances from U.S. calling for total freeze of Israeli settlements in o.t., stating that granting of $10 billion loan guarantees does not change U.S. policy on the Palestine problem. (MENA, AFP 8/19 in FBIS 8/20)
Pres. Haim Herzog formally invites Yitzhak Rabin to form a new government. (WP 7/2)
PM-designate Yitzhak Rabin calls on Fin. Min. Yitzhak Modai to stop releasing fund for construction in the o.t. (Hadashot 7/3 in FBIS 7/6)
Hamas and Fateh members clash in Bani Suhayla, Gaza. Militant Hamas 'Izz al-Din al-Qassim battalions stage protest of Fateh in Khan Yunis. (AFP 7/5 in FBIS 7/6)
"Association of Religious Sages in Palestine" is founded in Jerusalem. Most of the 77 members are junior clerics and Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas activists, and not senior waqf or Supreme Islamic Council clergy. Founding of org. seen as Hamas strategy of establishing institutions to rival those of PLO. (Ha'Aretz 7/6 in FBIS 7/9)
