The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Salfit, and in Nablus; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Hebron, Salfit and Tulkarm. (PCHR 9/15\)

At a rally in Jenin marking the anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, PA Pres. Abbas reiterates that the Palestinians will head to the UN to “achieve our goals.” Meanwhile, PA FM Riyad al-Maliki says that Abbas will use his upcoming meeting with French pres. François Hollande on 9/19 in Paris to ask for official recognition of Palestinian statehood and French support for a proposed UNSC res. demanding Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories. (MNA, WAFA 9/15)

UN peacekeepers withdraw from their posts along the Syrian side of the border with Israel. The relocation of hundreds of mbrs. of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) occurs following recent clashes between Syrian govt. forces and opposition groups in the area (see 9/4, 9/8, 9/11, 9/12). (AFP, REU 9/15)

Social/Economic/Political:

Occupied Palestine/lIsrael: Police discover huge cache of weapons, including 107 grenades, 80 loaded magazines, mines, anti-tank bazooka shells and several dozen kilos of explosives in evacuated Palestinian village of Lifta near Jerusalem; suspected to be linked with "TNT" cells. MK Tsaban's motion to establish a committee of inquiry into the invasion of Lebanon defeated in Knesset vote (42-33). PM Shamir accuses Egypt of "tretreating from the Camp David framework, " citing Egypt's failure to return its ambassador to Israel. MK Rabin says PLO operations against Israel were "child's play" compared to Shi'ite "terror" against IDF in S. Lebanon. Chief of Staff Levy tells Foreign Affairs & Defense Com. 2,000 [Palestinian] "terrorists" have returned to Beirut, and IDF withdrawal from S. Lebanon would not guarantee Israel secure borders. 4 American-Israeli youths arrested for last Sunday's attack on Arab bus near Ramallah. 5 Galilee Palestinians arrested on prima facie evidence of membership in religiousnationalist organization that may have set fire to 30 vehicles in recent months. Nablus mayor Shaka'a rejects military authorities' conditions placed on his travel permit to US.

Other Countries: US amb. to OAS Middendorf affirms US and Israel have mutual strategic interests in Central America where a battle is being waged by "atheistic Communism to destroy our 'Judeo-Christian civilization'." "Moral Majority" leader Jerry Falwell reaffirms support for Israel before group at Herzl Institute, NY, stating Israel's best friends in US are "Bible-believing Christians" and US should not have interrupted Israel's "liberation" of Lebanon from Syrian and PLO "slavery." Rev. Jesse Jackson's US presidential campaign staff compile evidence of "hounding" by some Jewish-American organizations.

Military Action:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: 3 Israelis killed and 9 wounded in booby-trapped bomb explosion on bus near Ashdod; Abu Nidal's PDFLP-GC in Damascus claims responsibility; 150 Arab men rounded up as suspects.