The Palestine Chronology

In Amman, Russian FM Primakov meets with King Hussein, Crown Prince Hassan. (ITAR-TASS [Moscow], JT, RJ 10/28 in WNC 10/29; MM 0/19; RJ 10/29 in WNC 10/30)

Iraq, Syria hold water talks in Damascus, again urge Turkey to join in 3-way discussion. (INA 10/28 in WNC 10/30; al-Thawra 10/31 in WNC 11/6) (see 10/22)

At the close of 4 days of mtgs., Iran, Lebanon have signed 4 agmts. covering land and maritime transport, dual taxation, boosting trade, encouraging investment btwn. the 2 countries. Iran also agrees to request to provide Lebanon with crude oil at preferential prices. (SA 10/29 in WNC 10/30; see also MM 10/27, IRIB Television [Tehran] 10/27 in WNC 10/29)

PC mbr. Musa Abu Sabha is detained by Israeli police at Gaza checkpoint for driving a car reported stolen in Israel. PA atty. gen. demands that Abu Sabha's immunity be lifted, but PC Legal Council refuses, saying that he cannot be tried while in Israeli detention, he must be extradited to PA. (PR 11/7)

IDF demolishes 3 Palestinian homes nr. Bethlehem. (LAW 10/29)

IDF clashes with Hizballah in s. Lebanon, leaving at least 2 Hizballah mbrs. dead. (ITV 10/28 in WNC 10/29)

After a weekend of high-level negotiations with Jordan, Israel frees Hamas spiritual leader Shaykh Ahmad Yasin (jailed since 5/89), sends him to Amman. Timing lends creedence to reports that Israeli Mossad agents posing as Canadian tourists attempted to assassinate Hamas's Mishal 9/25. Canada says the attackers, still in custody, have refused consular services. (Radio Canada International 9/30 in WNC 10/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/1; RJ 10/1 in WNC 10/2; SATN 10/1, al-Quds al-`Arabi 10/2 in WNC 10/3; ITV 10/1 in WNC 10/6; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/2; PR 10/3; MM 10/6; MEI 10/10; JP 10/11)

Israeli pres. Ezer Weizman pardons 2 Israelis, commutes the sentences of 4 other, all of whom are serving terms for killing Arabs. (ITV 10/1 in WNC 10/3; NYT, WT 10/2; PR 10/10; JP 10/11)

Saying that it seems "our . . . allies don't get it," Secy. of State Albright strongly criticizes France for supporting the $2 b. gas deal with Iran, not following U.S. policy of isolating Iran for supporting "terrorism." (NYT 10/1) (see 9/28)

In Tehran, Iran, Jordan open 2-day follow-up mtg. to the 9/28-29 mtgs., sign several agmts., establish Jordanian-Iranian Economic Cooperation Council. (JT 10/1 in WNC 10/2; al-Dustur 10/1 in WNC 10/7)

PM Netanyahu, DM Mordechai, Infrastructures M Sharon secretly fly to Amman to discuss attack on Hamas's Mishal. King Hussein refuses to meet them, sends Crown Prince Hassan instead. (NYT 10/10) (see 9/25)

U.S. Secy. of State Albright, Israeli FM Levy, Arafat adviser Abbas meet on the sidelines of the UNGA session in New York. (NYT, WP, WT 9/29; MEI 10/10)

Egyptian pres. Mubarak receives Israeli pres. Weizman in Alexandria. (MENA 9/28 in WNC 9/30; MM 9/29; JP 10/11)

PM Netanyahu tells his cabinet that he has spotted the "first, preliminary steps" by the PA to crack down on Islamists; releases $17 m. of tax money withheld fr. the PA since the 7/30, 9/4 bombings; allows 8,000 more Palestinian workers into Israel. (CSM, NYT, WT 9/29)

At a Labor convention, party leader Ehud Barak asks forgiveness fr. Sephardic Jews for the way the party treated them in the early years of statehood. (NYT 9/30; JP 10/4; MM 10/22)

IDF demolishes 53 dwellings of 70 Jahalin bedouin families, a school nr. Azariyya in Jeruslem. (PHRIC 10/21) (see 8/19)

The 3 companies fr. France, Malaysia, Russia sign $2 b. deal to explore for  gas in Iran, challenging for the 1st time a 1996 law sponsored by Sens. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY), Edward Kennedy (D-MA) requiring the U.S. to impose sanctions on any company that violates a 1996 law against investing more than $40 m. in Iran. (NYT 9/29; NYT, WP, WT 9/30; NYT 10/1; MEI 10/10) (see 7/26)

In Tehran, Iran, Jordan discuss expanding bilateral relations in trade, tourism, transportation. (RJ 9/28 in WNC 9/30; JT 10/1 in WNC 10/2)

500,000 Israeli workers honor an 8-hr. strike called by Histadrut to protest the Likud government's refusal to honor a Labor-initiated pension plan. (WT 9/28, 9/29)

Netanyahu says Oslo accords are based on reciprocity; recent suicide bombings are a PA violation, meaning Israel no longer has to honor accords. (ITV 9/6 in WNC 9/9)

Iran says that 15 EU ambs., who left Tehran in 4/97 after a German court ruled there was high-level Iranian involvment in the 1992 assassination of 4 Kurdish dissidents in Germany, may return. The German amb. must arrive last. (WT 9/7; CSM 9/16) (see 4/10)

In Ramallah, the PC votes (56-1) to urge Arafat to dissolve the EA within 1 mo., appoint a new cabinet. After the session, Israel prevents 18 PC mbrs. fr. returning to their homes in Gaza. (CSM, WP, WT 8/1; LAW 8/7; PR 8/8)

With less than 24-hrs. notice, Syrian Pres. Asad travels to Iran as head of a delegation comprising his VP, FM, several senior military cmdrs.; discusses Syrian-Iranian relations with outgoing Pres. Rafsanjani. (MM 7/31; RMC 7/31 in WNC 8/1; MM 8/1; SATN 7/31, IRIB Television [Tehran] 8/1 in WNC 8/4; MA 8/3 in WNC 8/5; MEI 8/8)

Jordan's Crown Prince Hassan, FM Tarawnah meet with EU special envoy Moratinos. (RJ 7/31 in WNC 8/1)

Following a mtg. with his inner cabinet, PM Netanyahu threatens to send commandos into PA areas to preempt any new anti-Israeli attacks, to halt transfer of all tax revenues to the PA, to jam all Palestinian radio and television broadcasts; calls on the U.S., international donors to halt aid to the PA. (MM 7/31; RMC 7/31 in WNC 8/1; CSM, WP, WT 8/1)

IDF detains 2 Palestinian families fr. the West Bank town of Dahariyya whose sons have been missing for over a yr., but they are unable to identify the 7/30 bombers' bodies. Israeli cabinet orders the arrest of PA's Gaza police cmdr. Brig. Gen. Jabali for encouraging attacks on Israeli settlements (see 7/23). PA police arrest 28 Hamas mbrs., including Rantisi. PA, Israeli security forces hold 2 mtgs. during the day. (MM 7/31; IDF Radio, QY, RMC 7/31 in WNC 8/1; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 8/1)

New York City police seize 5 pipe bombs, arrest 1 Egyptian, 2 Jordanians in a raid on a Brooklyn apartment. Police were tipped to the bombs by a Pakistani, Muhammad Shindli, who believed that his friends, Ghazi Ibrahim Abu Mayzar and Lafi Khalil (who both identify themselves as Palestinian), were planning to bomb the New York subway. Abu Mayzar had stated in his application for asylum in the U.S. that he had been arrested in Israel on charges of "being a mbr. of a terrorist organization." The 3d man, Egyptian `Abd al-Rahman Musabah, is detained as a witness. Hamas denies any connection to the men. (NYT, WP, WT 8/1; RJ 8/1 in WNC 8/4; NYT, WP 8/2; AFP 8/2 in WNC 8/5; NYT, WT 8/3; al-Hadath [Amman] 8/4 in WNC 8/5; NYT 8/5; WJW 8/7; MEI 8/8)

Unnamed Gulf diplomats reveal that Sidi al-Madani al-Ghazi Mustafa al-Tayyib, financial director for Saudi dissident and alleged "terrorist financier" Osama bin Laden, has been in custody in Saudi Arabia since 5/97. Saudi authorities have passed some of Tayyib's revealed information to the CIA, FBI to track militant groups in Detroit, New York. (WT 8/1)

Lebanese court sentences 5 Japanese Red Army mbrs. to 3 yrs. in jail on charges of forging official stamps, illegal entry into Lebanon, forging passports. (VOL 7/31 in WNC 8/1; CSM, WP 8/1) (see 7/29)

FBI begins investigating whether a "senior U.S. government official" has been passing highly sensitive information to Israel. U.S. officials say that in 1/97, the National Security Agency intercepted a transmission btwn. 2 Israeli intelligence officers in Washington and Tel Aviv, discussing a request by Israeli Amb. to the U.S. Eliahu Ben-Elissar to activate a alleged mole code-named Mega to obtain the secret letter of assurances fr. fmr. Secy. of State Christopher to Arafat, which was attached to the Hebron protocol and has never been made public. The transmission suggests that Mega has provide information to Israel in the past. Israel denies spying. (WP 5/7; NYT, WP 5/8; MM 5/8; IDF Radio, ITV, YA 5/8 in WNC 5/9; MM, WP, WT 5/9; SANA 5/12 in WNC 5/13; MEI 5/16; JP 5/17)

Arafat, Israeli pres. Weizman meet in advance of U.S. special envoy Ross's arrival 5/8. (MM, WT 5/6; ITV 5/6 in WNC 5/7; CSM, MM, NYT, WP 5/7; AFP, YA 5/7 in WNC 5/8; WJW 5/8; JP 5/10; MM 5/12)

After Arafat-Weizman mtg., an Israeli-PA-U.S. security mtg. is held to discuss resuming coordination. (MM 5/7; ITV 5/7 in WNC 5/8)

Egyptian pres. Mubarak accepts Iran's invitation to attend the 12/97 OIC mtg. in Tehran but says that Egypt is not considering resuming diplomatic relations with Iran (severed after Egypt signed its peace treaty with Israel in 1979). (WT 5/7)

Iran's FM Velayati arrives in Beirut for mtg. with FM Buwayz. (VOL 5/6 in WNC 5/7; IRNA 5/7 in WNC 5/8)

Israeli police forcibly evacuate 30 Jewish settlers fr. a shack they had set up nr. Nablus in an attempt to expand Yitzhar settlement. (MM, NYT 5/7; IDF Radio 5/7 in WNC 5/8; PR 5/16)

IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, Ramallah for being constructed without a permit. (LAW 5/6; PR 5/16) (see 5/5)

A bomb explosion in s. Lebanon blamed on Israel kills 2 civilians, injures 2. A 2d bomb at the same site is dismantled. In a separate incident, Israeli planes attack suspected Hizballah targets in the Biqa` Valley, injuring 1 civilian. (RL, VOL 5/6 in WNC 5/7; WP 5/7)

PA Justice M Frayh Abu-Madayn announces that Palestinians who sell or facilitate the sale of land to Jews will face the death penalty. (NYT, WT 5/6; NYT 5/16; JP 5/17; IDF Radio 5/19 in WNC 5/21; WT 5/21)

U.S. says that it has repeatedly protested to Israel "at the highest level" over complaints Israel has threatened to take away the U.S. passports of Palestinians who do not give up claims of residency in Jerusalem, stresses that Palestinian Americans cannot lose their U.S. citizenship involuntarily. (WT 5/6) (see 5/4)

In Cairo, EU special envoy Moratinos discusses peace process with Arab League secy. Gen. Ismat `Abd al-Majid. (RE 5/5 in WNC 5/6)

Israel's new amb. to Jordan, Oded Eran, fmr. head of the Israeli delegation to the donor conferences, assumes his post in Amman. (RJ 5/5 in WNC 5/6)

U.S. releases Hamas political leader Abu Marzuq after 22 mos. in detention, flies him to Jordan. (AFP 5/5, JTV, al-Ra'i, RJ, RMC 5/6 in WNC 5/7; NYT, WT 5/6; RJ 5/6, JT 5/7 in WNC 5/8; MM 5/7; WJW 5/8; WP 5/9; SA 5/9 in WNC 5/13; mei 5/16; JP 5/17; al-Wasat 5/19-25 in WNC 5/21) (see 5/4)

PA policeman shoots, kills Palestinian at a checkpoint in Hebron. (WP 5/6; MEI 5/16)

IDF demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in Hebron's H2, saying they were constructed without permits. (LAW 5/6; WT 5/7; PR 5/16) (see 4/23)

Israeli court charges Manbar with assisting the enemy, providing information to an outside enemy with the intent of harming state security, providing Iran with means to manufacture chemical weapons in exchange for $16 m. (IDF Radio 5/5 in WNC 5/6; MA 5/7 in WNC 5/8; JP 5/17) (see 4/25)

Iranian FM Velayati arrives in Cairo on a 2-day visit to invite Pres. Mubarak to attend the upcoming (12/97) OIC conference in Tehran. This is the 1st high-level contact btwn. Iran, Egypt since Mubarak accused Tehran in 1995 of trying to have him killed. (IRNA 5/5 in WNC 5/6; NYT, WP, WT 5/6; IRNA, RE, SA 5/6 in WNC 5/7; MM 5/8, 5/9)

The Jordanian Popular Movement merges with the National Constitutional Party. (JT 5/6 in WNC 5/7; JT 5/7 in WNC 5/8) (see 2/28)

Hizballah detonates 3 roadside bombs in s. Lebanon, wounding 5 civilians, 2 SLA mbrs. (RL 5/5 in WNC 5/6, 5/7; WP 5/7)

French cargo firm Calberson announces that it is terminating its 892 Israeli contracts due to the economic and political situation in Israel, difficulties in the peace process. (Globes [Internet] 4/29 in WNC 5/2)

Ignoring appeals fr. the U.S. to break off all political, economic ties with Iran, EU states decided to send their ambs. back to Tehran, say it would not be in their economic interests to impose sanctions, but suspend all high-level contacts, maintain arms embargo. (NYT, WP, WT 4/30) (see 4/21)

ILMG begins discussion of Israel's complaint regarding wounding of 2 IDF soldiers 4/25, Lebanon's complaint on IDF shooting of school bus 4/27. (RL 4/29 in WNC 4/30)

In Cairo, Egyptian pres. Mubarak, Israeli PM Netanyahu hold tense, inconclusive talks, marked by disagreement over Israeli settlement plans. (MM 3/5; RE 3/5 in WNC 3/7; CSM, MM, NYT, WP 3/6; ITV 3/7 in WNC 3/13; WJW 3/13; MEI 3/21)

After New York, Arafat heads to Georgia to meet with fmr. Pres. Jimmy Carter and Houston to meet with fmr. Pres. George Bush, fmr. Secy. of State James Baker III before returning to Gaza. (MM, NYT 3/6; WT 3/7)

UNSC begins debate on Israel's Har Homa plan. (MM, WT 3/5; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/6; MEI 3/7; WJW 3/13)

After 4 days of talks in Tehran, Jordan, Iran sign memorandum of understanding on health issues, medicine, medical training. (IRNA, VIRI 3/2 in WNC 3/4)

Israeli ministerial comm. unanimously approves Har Homa construction plan, says 3,015 housing units for Arabs may be built adjacent to the Har Homa settlement, but does not approve any funding for their construction. (Since 1990, Israel has allowed Arabs to build only 663 units in East Jerusalem, while allowing Israelis to build 13,835 units.) (MM 2/26; SANA 2/26 in WNC 2/27; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/27; WP 3/2; JP 3/8) (see 2/19)

King Hussein sends an envoy to Israel to urge Netanyahu to reconsider the Har Homa decision. (WP 2/27) (see 2/25)

The Jordan-Israel Aqaba-Elat Comm. convenes in Aqaba. (al-Aswaq 2/27+n28 in WNC 3/3)

3 leftist Jordanian parties (Jordanian Arab Ba'th Socialist Party, the pan-Arab National Action Party, the Arab Land Party) announce they are merging to form the Jordanian Nationalist Democratic Front. Jordanian elections are 9 mos. away; Jordan's 26 official parties are trying to work out common platforms to field candidates on united lists. (JT 2/27 in WNC 3/3)

Turkey says it is considering recalling its envoys fr. Tehran amid a diplomatic crisis sparked by Iran's perceived support for Turkish Islamists who are politically opposed to the Turkish military, which advocates government secularism. (AFP 2/27 in WNC 3/4)

In Washington, the family of Alisa Flatow, killed in the 4/9/95 suicide bombing in the Gaza Strip, file a $150-m. lawsuit against Iran. The federal Antiterrorism Act of 1996 allows families of victims of terrorism to bring civil actions against countries designated by the State Dept. as sponsors of terrorism. Lawyers claim the bombing was carried out by Islamic Jihad, with Iran's financial backing. (WT 2/27; WJW 3/6; JP 3/8)