The Palestine Chronology

Egyptian pres. Mubarak arrives in Washington on his 1st visit to the U.S. in 2 yrs.; holds separate mtgs. with National Security Adviser (NSA) Sandy Berger, Defense Secy. William Cohen, Commerce Secy. Daley, World Bank pres. Wolfensohn, a delegation of American Jewish leaders. Most talks focus on the peace process. (MM 6/28; WT 6/29; WJW 7/1; MEI 7/16)

Acting Likud head Sharon walks out of coalition talks with PM-elect Barak, saying Barak refused to commit himself to continue aggressive settlement construction, particularly in disputed areas of Jerusalem, or to rule out a broad withdrawal fr. the Golan Heights. (CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/29; al-Quds 7/29 in WNC 7/2)

UNSC begins closed-door debates on a new weapons inspection regime for Iraq. (WP 6/29)

Pres. Clinton waives the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act requiring the State Dept. to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel fr. Tel Aviv. If Clinton had not acted, the State Dept. would have forfeited about $500 m. in current funding for security, improvements at other embs. around the world. (WP, WT 6/19; RJ 6/19 in WNC 6/21; MM 6/21; JT 6/21 in WNC 6/22; MEI 7/2)

PM-elect Barak says that he will move quickly to construct the s. safe-passage route linking Gaza, West Bank. (MM 6/18; NYT, WP, WT 6/19; MM 6/21; AYM 6/23 in WNC 6/28; JP 6/25; MEI 7/2)

Mtg. in Cologne, the G-8 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, U.S.) decides against forgiving Jordan's debt, moves instead to forgive debt of the 33 poorest debtor nations. (NYT, WP 6/19; MM 6/25)

Iraq rejects the British-Dutch proposal, presented to the UN on 6/16, to ease sanctions in exchange for a new weapons inspection regime. (MM 6/18; NYT, WP 6/19; MM 6/22, 6/24, 6/25)