The Palestine Chronology

Syrian pres. Asad flies to Alexandria for several hrs. of talks with Egyptian pres. Mubarak, returns to Damascus. (MM 9/18; MENA, RE, SANA 9/18 in WNC 9/19)

Moskowitz agrees to Netanyahu's "compromise proposal" to replace 3 Jewish  families (totalling 11 mbrs.) who moved into his Ras al-Amud housing with 10 rabbinical students. Arafat says decision does not solve the problem, but State Dept. says it is "good news." (MM, WT 9/18; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 9/19; CSM, NYT 9/22; MEI 9/26; JP 9/27, 11/15) (see 9/17)

Rabbi Menachem Porush, once a senior lawmaker and leader of the ultra-Orthodox Agudat Israel party, breaks a decades-long silence to confirm that btwn. 1948 and 1950, Jewish authorities stole 100s of babies fr. Yemeni immigrants and gave them to European Jews. (WT 9/18)

In Egypt, 3 unidentified men attack a tourist bus in downtown Cairo, killing the Egyptian driver and 6 Germans, wounding 24. No group claims responisbility for the attack, which comes 3 days after Egypt convicted 72 Islamists of subversion, sentencing 4 to death, 8 to life imprisionment. (MM  9/18; MENA 9/18 in WNC 9/19; MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/19; CSM 9/22; MEI 9/26)

IDF, SLA clash with Hizballah in s. Lebanon, leaving 1 IDF officer dead, wounding 7 civilians, 2 IDF soldiers, 1 SLA mbr. At least 2 of the civilians were wounded by Israel shells that spray metal darts, which are banned under international coventions. (MM 9/18; RL, VOL 9/18 in WNC 9/19; WP 9/19)

Secy. of State Albright stops briefly in Egypt to meet with Pres. Mubarak before heading to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Fahd, urges both countries to participate in the 11/97 Doha economic summit. (MENA 9/13, RE 9/15 in WNC 9/16; NYT, WP, WT 9/14; al-Thawra 9/14 in WNC 9/17; MM 9/15; WP 9/18; MEI 9/26)

Israel's urban planning commission approves plans by American Jewish developer Irving Moskowitz to build 70 housing units for Jews in the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem. Under heavy police protection, 50 Jewish settlers (3 families, plus armed guards) fr. the radical group Ateret Cohanim move into 2 buildings, which purportedly were purchased by Moskowitz fr. local Palestinians. Israeli police say the occupation is legal. Netanyau condemns the action but says little can be done to reverse it. (RL 9/13, ITV 9/14, IDF Radio 9/15 in WNC 9/16; LAW 9/14; WP 9/15; WT 9/16; CSM 9/17; WJW 9/18; PR 9/19; MEI, PR 9/26)

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)

PC holds the 1st mtg. of its 2d session. Mbrs. reelect (62-20) Ahmad Qurai` as PC speaker. (PR 3/28)

In Cairo, Pres. Mubarak holds separate mtgs. with Arafat, Israeli PM Netanyahu's adviser Dore Gold, Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri, Syrian FM Shara` on the Har Homa situation and Netanyahu's 3/19 proposal for skipping the interim negotiations. (MM 3/20; RE, RL 3/20 in WNC 3/21; SATN 3/20 in WNC 3/21; WP 3/21; RE 3/21 in WNC 3/24)

In Bethlehem and Bayt Omar, 100s of stone throwing Palestinians protesting the Har Homa construction clash with IDF troops, who respond with rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, sound grenades. PA security forces sporadically attempt to hold back demonstrators, beating them with batons. (WP, WT 3/21; NYT 3/22)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) holds a large rally in al-Yarmuk r.c. in Damascus to protest Israeli construction in East Jerusalem. (QPAR 3/20 in WNC 3/21)

5 Jewish families seize, move into a Palestinian building in Silwan under the protection of heavily-armed private security guards. The Israeli government says it is legal for settlers to "acquire" home in the area. 9 Palestinian homes have been taken by settlers over the past 6 yrs. (PR 3/28)