The Palestine Chronology

Middle East peace conference opens in the royal palace in Madrid with delegations from Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation present. Conference begins with short speech by Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez, followed by addresses by conference co-conveners Presidents Bush and Gorbachev, and Dutch FM Hans van den Broek, representating the European Community. Soviet FM Boris Pankin and Secy. of State Baker were also present at the negotiating table. Saudi ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan and 'Abdullah Bishara, secy. gen. of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also attend the conference, but are not seated at the table. Egyptian FM 'Amr Musa delivers the first address by one of the negotiating delegations. Secy. of State Baker confirms that it was not certain whether or not second phase bilateral talks between Israel and the Arab delegations would commence 11/2 as scheduled due to disagreement between Israel, Arab delegations over venue of such talks. Israel is pushing for holding the negotiations in the Middle East, while Arab delegations seek to continue to hold such talks in Madrid. (NYT 10/31)

Hamas calls for a general strike to protest the peace conference. But 2,000 Palestinian supporters of Fateh, some armed with clubs and knives and waving Palestinian flags, march in favor of the peace talks in Gaza as Israeli troops follow them but make no effort to disperse the gathering. The marchers clashed with supporters of Hamas, injuring four. Five thousand other PLO supporters march in Khan Yunis. Pro-peace conference activists in Qalqiliya, Jenin force shopkeepers to open their shops which had been closed following orders by Hamas to observe ageneral strike. Elsewhere, Israeli security forces kill one Palestinian in Hebron, wound at least 24 in Gaza and 11 in Nablus during clashes. (NYT, WP, MEM 10/31)

Iraqi National Assembly condemns peace conference, attacks Syria, Egypt for their participation. (MEM 10/31)

Some 10,000 Lebanese march in Beirut against peace conference. (WP 10/31)

Israeli, South Lebanon Army forces bombard villages near Nabatiyya, S. Lebanon, in retaliation for 10/29 attacks on Israeli troops. (NYT 10/31)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: The Israeli High Court of Justice releases a Palestinian held without trial. It is the first such release; there are 2,500 Palestinians being held without trial. [NYT 6/25]. Israeli authorities seize 1100 dunums of land north of Ramallah [FJ 7/10].

Military

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Demonstrations in the West Bank leave 14 Arabs and 3 Israelis injured. In Nablus settlers open fire on Arab demonstrators wounding 13; Nablus is put under curfew. In Hebron a Palestinian stabs a Jewish settler, is then shot by the settler; Hebron is put under curfew [WP 6/25, FJ 6/26]. Military officials lift the curfew on Beach camp for the firstime in 15 days; the curfew is reimposed after 2 hours [FJ 6/26].

Arab World: Fighting in the Palestinian refugee camps near Beirut continues with 10 people killed, 34 wounded. Since 1 May 112 people have been killed, 502 injured in battles between Arafat loyalists and Fateh-Uprising dissidents [WP 6/25].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Estimated 10,000 demonstrators from inside the green line gather in Nazareth to protest force used by Israeli troops in last week's violence. The demonstration, organized by the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, is the largest protest inside the green line since 1982 [FJ 12/19]. Twenty prominent Palestinians issue statement condemning stabbing of an elderly Israeli in Jerusalem on 12/12 [NYT 12/15]. Court orders Justice Minister Avraham Sharir to explain his decision not to extradite William Nakash, a French Jew convicted of murdering an Arab in France [NYT 12/16]. Authorities order confiscation of land in Kufr al-Libbad village. Residents plan to take their protest to Israeli High Court [FJ 12/19].

Military Action

Arab World: Fateh refuses Iran-mediated plan requiring PLO to withdraw from Maghdushah. Fighting between PLO and Amal continues; at least 6 killed in Beirut camps [WP, NYT 12/15].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: P.M. Peres rejects pressure from Labor Party Central Committee to break 1984 agreement with Likud bloc to rotate offices with Foreign Minister Shamir, due to take place in October [NYT, MG 3/24].

Arab World: East Jerusalem newspaper al-Mithaq reports Syrian Pres. Hafiz al-Asad has outlined terms under which he would be willing to begin dialogue with Fateh organization: (1) PLO must issue statement in Arafat's name praising Syrian army's role in 1982 Lebanon war; (2) statement must contain apology for media campaign PLO has conducted against Syria since its evacuation from Beirut; (3) statement must praise Syria's rejection of "capitulatory" solutions to M.E. conflict, affirm Syria's efforts to prevent cantonization of Lebanon; (4) statement must criticize "reactionary" Arab efforts to pressure PLO to accept UN Security Council Resolution 242 [JP 3/24]. Yasir Arafat states it is up to the U.S. to break the deadlock in M.E. peace efforts that followed the collapse of Jordanian efforts to bring the Palestinians into the talks with Israel [BG 3/24]. Arafat states he has sent new proposals for a M.E. peace settlement to the U.S., awaits a response [PI 3/24].

Military Action:

Heavy artillery and rocket exchanges between Christian and Druse militias, shells fall on beaches north of Beirut.

Casualties:

7 IDF soldiers wounded in attack on APC; IDF shoots, kills 2 passengers in car that fails to heed roadblock south of Beirut, military commission appointed to inquire into incident.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Bank of Israel statistics show foreign debt has reached record $21 b., highest per capita in the world; 200 armed settlers hold rally in Hebron, call for Jewish settlement in center of all Arab towns.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat returns to Tunis from 3-day visit to Iraq, meets Cubans on mediating mission between Syria and Fateh.

Military Action:

Druze militia and Lebanese Army exchange fire in Beirut; IDF vehicle attacked by bazooka fire west of Ansar camp.

Casualties:

Maronite archbishop of Tyre kidnapped by Druze forces, later released after intercession of President Gemayel; between 83 and 104 kidnap victims exchanged, estimated 25 remain unaccounted for in Chouf; Lebanese Army arrests 17 Druze militiamen after Beirut battle; 1 IDF soldier killed, 1 wounded in bazooka attack; IDF releases 3 Syrian detainees from Ansar for health reasons.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: PM Begin opposes deadline for Syrian withdrawal or for unilateral IDF redeployment; IDF and Interior Ministry agree to establish 2 new border police companies, of 100 each, in West Bank; Health Ministry issues doctors with back to work orders, threatens to put them under military orders, doctors agree to resume negotiations; suspect in grenade attack that killed Peace Now activist February 10 remanded for 15 days in Jerusalem.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: DFLP leader Hawatmeh says Syria should impose economic blockade on Lebanon to force Lebanese bourgeoisie to decide whether its true interests lie with Israel or the Arabs; Arafat says Qaddafi seeks to split Palestinian revolution, will not succeed; 5 dissident Fateh officers refuse orders placing them under Arafat's command.

US and Other Countries: Coalition of trade unionists, political figures, and Palestinians in Quebec sends telegram to Prime Minister Trudeau asking him to forbid former Israeli Defense Minister Sharon from entering Canada on June 1 for fund raising campaign.

Military Action:

Israelis move troops experienced in street fighting into hills around West Beirut; IDF artillery repeatedly shells Syrian positions near Hammana.

Casualties:

Hundreds live in Beirut parks, lacking food, water, medicine and basic hygiene; garbage piles up in West Beirut streets (most trucks are in East Beirut); more shops close throughout city as fear of IDF attack grows; Baalbek now has 35,000 refugees; Palestinian refugees reportedly receive less aid than Lebanese; Israeli unsubsidized prices for sales to Lebanon about 3 times Lebanese prices.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Former head of Israeli military intelligence, in US, says casualty figures inflated; Israeli Knesset debate ends with Likud/Labor parties agreeing not to vote against each other's resolutions, only to vote for their own; Begin offers to let PLO leave with personal weapons (claims Reagan said USSR might intervene if there were a war with Syria); Sharon says he informed Haig, Weinberger that IDF invasion of Lebanon was virtually inevitable 2 weeks before actual invasion; Sharon announces 271 Israelis killed, 1470 wounded, 13 missing; government charges UN schools used by PLO for training, as arsenals; reports that IDF used new anti-tank weapon similar to US Sadarm; Sharon speaks at Knesset on scope/aims of war (Peres strongly opposes any entry into Beirut); government officials accuse Habib of false optimism; Israeli Cabinet ratifies June 27 ultimatum, but softens departure possibilities (by land or sea); 4 reservists call on Sharon to resign, call on other released soldiers to join their vigil; 600 demonstrate in favor of war; 30 protest effect of war on the poor in Israel; petition with signatures of 40 who fought in Lebanon printed opposing war; Supreme Islamic Council of Jerusalem states support for PLO, denounces silence of Arab regimes.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib meets with Wazzan, Butros; Lebanese disagree on whether PLO leaders can return to Lebanon to visit; Lebanese papers attack USSR, accusing it of complicity with US; Druze leader Jumblatt expects attack on Beirut within 24- 36 hours, predicts coexistence of Muslims, Christians in Lebanon is finished; Bashir Gemayel predicts Israel and Syria will have full-scale war; reports of de facto strike in Sidon area following Israeli mistreatment; Phalangists reject plan to incorporate PLO units into Lebanese Army, Phalangist troops enter Aley, threaten to kill 12 Druze (Druze leader is killed by Phalange members, allegedly mistakenly); PLO stiffens demands as talks deadlocked over timing and method of PLO withdrawal (PLO seeks own police in refugee camps, PLO units attached to Lebanese Army); Arafat addresses PLO rally; Fateh Central Committee reportedly says no more concessions.

Arab Governments: Saudi Arabia reportedly explores flying PLO out of Lebanon; Egypt sends Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ghali to Paris for talks.

US and Other Countries: US expressed satisfaction with cease-fire; former US envoy to Lebanon, Dean Brown, says US blessed IDF invasion, that Reagan does not know much about the Mideast and "probably does not want to know"; EEC calls for PLO to be involved in peace negotiations, asks immediate IDF withdrawal (arms sales informally suspended to Israel); Austrian Jewish group presents open letter to Israeli Ambassador decrying invasion, asking for peace negotiations with Palestinians; International Socialist delegation, headed by former Portuguese prime minister Soares, visits mayor of Bethlehem; EEC refuses to sign £22 million financial protocol with Israel (does not agree on trade sanctions); Habib requests formal guidance from Washington for negotiations, Haig drafts 9-point proposal in response.