The Palestine Chronology

Israel expels 415 suspected Muslim activists, 251 from the West Bank, 164 from the Gaza Strip to Lebanon. High Court of Justice temporarily blocks the expulsions, then votes 5 to 2 to permit them. UNIFIL forces try to block buses carrying deportees from traveling through their territory. Lebanese army blocks the deportees from entering govt.- controlled territory, leaving them stranded between Israeli and Lebanese checkpoints. (WP 12/17, 12/18; Qol Yisra'el, Radio Lebanon, VOL 12/17, 12/18 in FBIS 12/18; NYT 12/18)

Eighth round of Arab-Israeli peace talks ends. Arab parties boycott 12/17 meetings to protest deportations. PLO announces talks suspended until deportees allowed back. (Tunisian Republic Radio 12/17 in FBIS 12/18; NYT, WP 12/18)

Pres. Bush meets separately with all delegations involved in peace talks for 20-25 minutes each; he meets with Palestinians and Jordanians together, then with Jordanians alone for 15 minutes. (Radio Jordan 12/17 in FBIS 12/18)

Hamas denounces the expulsions as "total war"; their legitimate targets, previously limited to soldiers, now include "every Zionist in Palestine." Arab MKs condemn deportation ruling, threaten to withdraw support of governing coalition. UNLU issues supplement to call no. 90 condemning the deportations. (IDF Radio 12/17 in FBIS 12/18; AFP 12/17, Sanaa VOP 12/18 in FBIS 12/21)

U.S. State Department "strongly condemns the action of deportation". Pres.-elect Bill Clinton is critical, though not condemnatory of the expulsion. UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali asks Israel to "rescind the expulsion order." (NYT 12/18

FMs of Islamic Conference Organization meeting in Jeddah issue statement describing Jerusalem as a "central issue for the Muslim nation" that cannot be excluded from current peace talks. (MM 12/2)

Israel suspends press credentials of 2 foreign journalists, reprimands 4 others, on charges of violating censorship laws in reporting on 11/5 IDF accident killing 5 soldiers. (MM 12/1; NYT 12/2)

IDF fatally shoots Palestinian boy during widespread clashes in Gaza Strip. (Qol Yisra'el 12/1 in FBIS 12/1)

In interview with al-Hayat, Chmn. Arafat urges Pres.-elect Bill Clinton to resume dialogue with the PLO. He also strongly criticizes Hamas, warning of "retaliation" if acts of violence continue in the o.t. (AFP 11/7 in FBIS 11/9; NYT 11/10)

PLO Exec. Comm. mbrs., as well as Palestinian delegation head Faisal Husseini, meet with Jordanian FM Kamil Abu Jaber to discuss draft Israeli-Jordanian agenda for negotiations (see 11/1). Palestinians seek definite reference in the agenda to UNGA 194 (the right of return), and clarifications on wording of references to Palestinian o.t. (Jordan Times 11/8 in FBIS 11/9; MM 11/9)

PFLP Red Eagle gunmen shoot, kill suspected collaborator in Shabura camp, Gaza Strip. (Qol Yisra'el 11/7 in FBIS 11/10)

Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary bloc issues statement rejecting draft Israeli-Jordanian agenda as a retreat from declared peace principles, calling on govt. to not ratify it. Hamas issues similar statement. (Jordan Times 11/8 in FBIS 11/9)

King Hussein says it is time for Iraqis to end the rule of Saddam Hussein, install govt. of "pluralism, democracy." (NYT 11/8)

Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics releases latest figures showing that the Jewish birthrate has dropped to its lowest rate since 1948-2.6 children per woman. The Muslim rate is 4.7, slightly higher than last year, but much lower than the 1948 figure. Influx of immigrants kept the Jewish majority steady at 81.9%. (NYT 11/8)

Chmn. Arafat offers to meet with PM Rabin, a la South Africa's De Klerk and Nelson Mandela, to promote Middle East peace. (London MBC TV 7/28 in FBIS 7/29; MM 7/29)

FM Shimon Peres meets with Russian for. min. Middle East head Viktor Posuvalyuk, who later meets with Hanan Ashrawi. (Qol Yisra'el 7/28 in FBIS 7/30)

Under increasing pressure, Israel agrees to allow U.S. investigators to question Brig. Gen. Rami Dotan and others who diverted $40 million of U.S. aid for unauthorized purposes. Justice and Def. Dept. do not wholly believe that Dotan and others were acting solely in their own interests, implying that the govt. of Israel may be implicated in the fraud, which would constitute a default on Israel's aid agreements with the U.S. Another conspirator, Harold Katz, will be questioned also on his connections to Jonathan Pollard (see 6/11, 722). (WP 7/29)

West Bank towns of Nablus and al-Kabatiyya join Janin in commercial strike (see 7/27). (MM 7/28)

FM Shimon Peres and the U.S. State Dept.'s Richard Arnitage announce joint assistance project for 5 former Soviet Muslim republics. (Davar 7/30 in FBIS 7/31; MM 7/29)

PLO supporters, running as "Nationalist Muslim List," win 9 of 12 seats in elections for chamber of commerce and industry in Nablus. Hamas supporters win other 3 seats. Elections were the first for the chamber in 18 years. (MM 5/21)

Palestinian negotiator Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi condemns internecine killing of Palestinians in o.t. (Qol Yisra'el 5/21 in FBIS 5/21)

IDF planes bomb Islamic Resistance positions near Janta in E. Lebanon's Biqa' Valley, 5 km. from border with Syria; 6 Hizballah fighters and 1 Iranian Revolutionary Guard fighter are killed. jets also bomb 2 other villages in S. Lebanon while helicopters attack home of Hizballah commander in Jibshit. IDF, SLA artillery shell 5 villages as fierce fighting enters third day. (MM 5/21; WP, MM 5/22)

Multilateral talks on refugees open in Ottawa with Palestinians asserting that solution for Palestinian refugees should be made through implementation of UN Gen. Assembly Res. 194, which calls for repatriation of refugees or compensation. Israel boycotts talks. (MM 5/12)

Responding to 5/12 U.S. statement regarding right of Palestinian refugees to return, PM Shamir states "There is only a Jewish 'right of return' to the Land of Israel." State Dept. clarifies 5/12 statement, reaffirming U.S. support for Res. 194 and Sec. Council Res. 237 (adopted 14 June 1967) regarding return of Palestinian refugees but adding that this remains a matter to be negotiated between Palestinians and Israel. (NYT, MM 5/14)

Multilateral talks on water open in Vienna with more than 30 delegations attending. (WP 5/14)

Palestinian negotiators Zakariyal-Agha, 'Abd al-Rahman Hamad are refused entry into Gaza by Israeli authorities at Rafah border crossing point for a second time after they again refused to allow border guards to search documents they were carrying [see 5/12]. (MM 5/15)

Annual assembly of World Health Organization passes resolution criticizing Israel for health conditions in o.t. (MM 5/14)

In Jerusalem, Jordanian-controlled Higher Islamic Council warns against intervention by "foreign or international bodies" in repair work to Islamic holy sites in E. Jerusalem, an apparent reference to Saudi attempts to finance repairs of shrines in coordination with UNESCO [Jordan has traditionally been responsible for shrines' maintenance] [see 4/29, 5/5, 5/11, 5/12]. (MM 5/13; NYT 5/14)

Shaykh Ishaq Idris Sakhouta, head of Cairo-based and Saudi-financed World Islamic League, begins visit to Israel and o.t. After praying at al-Aqsa mosque in E. Jerusalem, Sakhouta praises Israel's handling of Islamic shrines in Jerusalem during meeting with Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek [Sakhouta's visit is being financed by an Israeli tourist company which seeks to increase Muslim tourism to Islamic holy sites in o.t.] (MM 5/14)

IDF kill "wanted" Palestinian in Immatin, near Tulkarm. Separate gun battle between IDF and 3 Palestinians leaves 1 Palestinian wounded. (Qol Yisra'el 5/14 in FBIS 5/14

Settler shot dead while driving near Dayr al-Bala refugee camp in Gaza, first Israeli killed in Gaza since beginning of intifada. IDF imposes curfew on camp. (MM 1/2)

DM Arens states planned Jewish "civil guard" in o.t. [see 12/25] will be identical to that currently found in Israel proper, and will operate within settlement boundaries. (IDF Radio 1/1 in FBIS 1/2)

Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics states Soviet Jewish immigration has pushed Israeli's population above 5 million for first time. Bureau estimates population, including annexed E. Jerusalem and Golan, as follows: 4.15 million Jews; 695,000 Muslims; 120,000 Christians; 85,000 Druze. (MM 1/2)