King Hussein meets with Pres. Clinton at the White House to express concern over U.S. hard-line policy on Iraq, stalled peace process. (al-Ra'i, RJ 6/15, al-Dustur, JTV, al-Ra'i...
3-days of elections talks close in Cairo. Sides agree PA will be in charge of maintaining security during elections, joint patrols will be used. PM Rabin says Palestinians fr. Jerusalem will not...
IDF helicopters (4), IAF fighter-bombers (6) attack Hizballah base at `Ayn Kawkab, nr. Ba`albak, killing at least 26, as many as 45, and wounding 30 (up to 80), most teenagers in their beds. ...
Read more
King Hussein meets with Pres. Clinton at the White House to express concern over U.S. hard-line policy on Iraq, stalled peace process. (al-Ra'i, RJ 6/15, al-Dustur, JTV, al-Ra'i, RJ 6/16 in WNC 6/17; NYT, WT 6/16; WP 6/17; al-Ra'i 6/17 in WNC 6/19)
In Cairo, Pres. Mubarak meets with Labor Chmn. Barak. Mubarak comments that he has lost faith in PM Netanyahu. Netanyahu tells the press "this pronouncement is typical of Arab leaders who don't get what they want." (IDF Radio 6/15 in WNC 6/17; MENA, RE 6/15 in WNC 6/17)
PC grants Arafat's request to delay no-confidence motion for 10 days to give him a chance to form new cabinet. Hamas, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine say that they will not join the EA. (MM 6/15; WP 6/16; WT 6/17; MEI 6/19; JP 6/20; PR 6/26; MEI 7/3)
Israeli Interior Min. demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, saying that they were build without permits on areas zoned as "open space." U.S. calls on Israel to refrain fr. such "provocative acts." (LAW, MM, NYT 6/16; JTV 6/16 in WNC 6/17; ITV 6/19 in WNC 6/23; PR 6/26; JP 6/27)
In Rabat, Jordan's PM Majali, Morocco's King Hassan set up joint higher comm. for coordination in all fields; discuss peace process, possible Arab summit. (MKR 6/15, MAP 6/16 in WNC 6/17)
3-days of elections talks close in Cairo. Sides agree PA will be in charge of maintaining security during elections, joint patrols will be used. PM Rabin says Palestinians fr. Jerusalem will not be allowed to run; Israel, not the PA, will carry out population census using 5,000 Palestinian teachers (see 4/28). A tripartite (EU, Israel, PA) comm. will be set up to discuss international monitors during elections. (AFP, IDF Radio, MENA, VOP 5/16, MENA 5/17 in FBIS 5/17; AFP, MENA, QY, VOP 5/17 in FBIS 5/18; PR 5/21)
2-day multilateral steering comm. mtgs on peace process open in Montreux, Switzerland. Syria, Lebanon boycott. Working groups on water, arms control, refugees, economic development, environment meet. (HA, QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/18)
For 1st time since 1990, U.S. vetoes UN resolution criticizing Israel. U.S. Amb. Madeline Albright calls veto "a matter of principle." Last-minute Russian proposal for UNSC presidential letter reproving Israel is rejected by U.S. as too strong, by PLO as too weak. Resolution would have invalidated Israel's 4/27 seizure of 134 acres of Arab-owed land in East Jerusalem. (MENA, VOP 5/17, MENA, QY, VOP 5/18 in FBIS 5/18; MM, NYT, WT 5/18; AFP, ITV, MENA, RE, RMC, VOP 5/18, MENA, VOP 5/19 in FBIS 5/19; MM, WT 5/19; MEI 6/9, 6/26) (see Doc. D7 in JPS 96)
PM Rabin says Israel would not object to having Syria deploy an early warning station on Israeli territory if Israel can maintain an equivalent system on Syrian soil. (MM 5/17)
60 of 80 mbrs. of the Jordanian parliament, incl. deputies who had approved the Jordan-Israel treaty, ask the government to freeze or cancel the treaty, recall Jordan's amb. to Israel, expel the Israeli amb. in protest over Israel's land confiscations. (MM 5/18; QY, RJ, SARR 5/18 in FBIS 5/18; SA 5/19 in FBIS 5/23; JP 5/27)
In Rabat, Arab League Secy. Gen. Ismat `Abd al-Majid talks with King Hassan on holding summit to discuss Israeli confiscations of Palestinian land in Jerusalem, leaves for Cairo to confer with Pres. Husni Mubarak. Mubarak, Syria's Pres. Hafiz al-Asad discuss plans by phone. (MKR, RE 5/18, RE 5/19 in FBIS 5/19; RMC 5/19, AFP, RMC 5/21 in FBIS 5/22)
PA police raid 5 Gaza mosques in search of "inflammatory material," tear pro-Hamas placards off walls; issue order banning "provocative actions in mosques." (QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/17)
MK `Abd al-Wahhab Darawshah, head of Israel's Arab Democratic Party (ADP), says Arafat has urged him to withdraw ADP's no confidence motion over the Jerusalem land confiscation. Arafat's office denies it, saying PA does not interfere in Israeli domestic affairs. (QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/17; QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/18) (see 5/15)
1 IDF soldier, 1 Hizballah mbr. are killed, 7 Hizballah mbrs, 3 IDF soldiers, 1 SLA mbr. are wounded in 2 clashes in s. Lebanon. (MM 5/17; CSM, MM 5/18; JP 5/27; MEI 6/9)
Multilateral working group on economics meets in Rabat, Morocco. 5th session of group involves delegations fr. 46 countries. (MAP 6/16 in FBIS 6/20)
Saudi Fund for Development, International Development Association sign memorandum of agreement to fund $30 m. in West Bank/Gaza Strip development projects. Agreement is part of $67.5 m. allocated out of $100 m. Saudi grant to Palestinians. (Saudi embassy release 6/16)
Vatican, Israel announce agreement signed 6/14 to establish full diplomatic relations, implementing 12/30/93 agreement. Ambs. to be exchanged soon. (MM 6/15; NYT, WP, WSJ, WT 6/16; JP 6/25)
Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Richard Shelby (D-AL) set up "Middle East Peace Accord Monitoring Group" to track PLO compliance with 5/4 agreement with Israel. (MM 6/16; Forward 6/17)
IDF helicopters (4), IAF fighter-bombers (6) attack Hizballah base at `Ayn Kawkab, nr. Ba`albak, killing at least 26, as many as 45, and wounding 30 (up to 80), most teenagers in their beds. Hizballah fires 20 katyusha rockets at Israel in retaliation, 7 landing nr. Nahariya. Lebanon, Syria denounce attack. UN S.G. Butrus Butrus-Ghali expresses "concern" over attack. (RL 6/2 in FBIS 6/2; MM 6/2, 6/3; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 6/3; JP 6/11)
PLO Chmn. Arafat cancels appointments, reportedly suffering fr. "mild angina." (MENA, RL, MBC TV 6/2 in FBIS 6/3; NYT, WP 6/3)
Protests continue in Ramallah, 2 Palestinians wounded as Justice M David Liba'i visits. (JP 6/11)
Mtg. of UNRWA donors grouping 24 countries, European Union (EU) concludes in Amman. (UNRWA News 6/15)
Israeli FM Peres meets Morocco's King Hassan during stopover in Rabat on return fr. visit to Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. (MM 6/3)
