The Palestine Chronology

Syrian, Israeli negotiators meet in Washington; U.S. Special Middle East Coordinator Dennis Ross observes. Military officers do not participate, pending agreement on composition of expanded delegations. (MM 12/20; QY 12/20 in FBIS 12/20)

Likud leader Netanyahu says Israeli army officials already met secretly with Syrian Amb. Mu`allim, U.S. coordinator Ross in Washington this month. FM Peres does not deny mtg. took place. (MM 12/19; WT 12/20; MENA 12/21 in FBIS 12/22) (see 11/30)

Rabin's government wins no-confidence vote (56 to 41) brought by Ultraorthodox rabbis who used FM Peres comments that King David was an adulterer to force PM Rabin to bring religious parties into the coalition in hopes of derailing the peace process. (WT 12/19; NYT 12/19; IDF Radio 12/19 in FBIS 12/21; WJW 12/22)

FM Peres makes statement before Knesset denying contacts with Iraq, reaffirming support for sanctions after receiving "demand" fr. U.S. to help consolidate support for U.S. position on Iraq. (HA 12/21 in FBIS 12/22)

Arafat asks French FMin. to transport 2,000 Fateh cadres fr. camps in Sidon and Tyre, Lebanon, to Gaza to bolster police force, help contain Islamist opposition. Lebanese FM Faris Buwayz says Lebanon has no objection. (Al-Majd 12/19 in FBIS 12/20; Al-Ra'y 12/30 in FBIS 12/30; AFP 1/4, RL 1/5 in FBIS 1/5; MM 1/6)

Israeli Pres. Ezer Weizman arrives in Cairo for 3 days of talks with Pres. Mubarak. Weizman says UN Res. 242 must be applied to Jerusalem "so that part of it would remain Arab." (MM 12/19; MENA 12/19 in FBIS 12/20; MM 12/20, 12/21; MENA 12/20, QY 12/21 in FBIS 12/21)

Arafat meets with UNRWA delegation to discuss moving UNRWA headquarters to Gaza; meets with U.S. Congressional delegation to discuss recent events in peace process, Israeli land confiscation. (VOP 12/20 in FBIS 12/20; PR 12/24; MEI 1/6)

PFLP-GC says it is reducing its military, organizational cadres by 30% and stopping payments to families of martyrs and wounded because of financial problems. (Al-Muharrir 12/19 in FBIS 12/19; Shishan 1/27)

2 IDF soldiers, 1 Hizballah mbr., 1 Palestinian Islamic Revolutionary Army mbr. killed in clashes in southern Lebanon. IDF shells villages north of self-declared "security zone," wounding 1 civilian. (RL 12/19 in FBIS 12/20; MM 12/20, 12/21; QY 12/19 in FBIS 12/22; NYT 12/20)

Arafat meets with UAE Pres. Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan al-Nahayan in Geneva to discuss financial hurdles facing self rule. (MM 8/22)

PNA Local Affairs M Sa'eb Erakat presents draft law for Palestinian legislative elections to Arafat, announces PNA has started training 5,000 Palestinians to organize elections, says talks are underway with opposition groups regarding elections. Legislative council would include 100 mbrs. who will simultaneously become PNC reps. Exec. council of 24 mbrs. (12 from legislative council) will then be formed. (MENA 8/19, VOP 8/21 in FBIS 8/22)

Brig. Gen. Muhammad Qudisiyya, cmdr. of the al-Badr Forces of the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA), announces King Hussein will begin supplying, paying salaries of all PLA forces in Jordan. (Jordan Times 8/20, Al-Ra'y 8/21 in FBIS 8/30)

Palestinian police kill 1 Palestinian, wound 1 in Rafah. Palestinian police officials detain 5 officers, promise full investigation. (MM, WP, WSJ 8/22; UNRWA News 8/24)

Israeli undercover unit kills 1 Palestinian, wounds 8 in Ramallah during Mulid al-Nabi celebrations mistaken for demonstration. (WT 8/21; MM 8/22; JP 8/27)

Ghazi Jabali, cmdr. of Palestinian police in Gaza City, says police will not disarm Hamas activists, reaffirms they will confiscate unlicensed weapons after legislation is passed, grace period lapses. (QY 8/10 in FBIS 8/22; JP 8/27) (see 8/16)

IDF shells Arab Salim, southern Lebanon kills 1 Lebanese civilian, wounds another. (MEI 8/26)