The Palestine Chronology

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF violently disperse dozens of Palestinian protesters in alKhader nr. Bethlehem, causing no serious injuries. The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in al-Bireh, al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 2 villages nr. Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Bethlehem, 1 village nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jenin, and 1 village nr. Salfit at night. (REU, YA, MNA 4/18; PCHR 4/25)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry tells the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that the ‘‘window for a two-state solution is shutting’’ and that the chance to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel will be lost in 1–2 years. (Guardian 4/18)

Officials from a dozen Palestinian factions including the PFLP, DFLP and Islamic Jihad—but excluding Hamas and Fatah—meet in Gaza City to discuss the resignation of Salam Fayyad. In a subsequent news conference, the factions say Pres. Mahmud Abbas should immediately start forming a Palestinian unity government of technocrats to be sworn in within three weeks. The government should then set a date for presidential, parliamentarian, and Palestinian National Council elections. (MNA 4/18)

Anonymous diplomats say that Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to discussions in mid-5/2013. Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry tells the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he was disappointed by the failure of talks in Kazakhstan but that a diplomatic solution to the dispute with Iran is still the best option. (AP 4/18)

The IDF lifts the sealing of the territories imposed on 2/10, but maintains curfews in many areas; fires on a group of Palestinians allegedly attempting to plant a roadside bomb nr. Netzarim settlement, killing 2 or 3, capturing 1; fatally shoots 1 Palestinian in a separate incident nr. Netzarim; kills 2 Palestinians during a demolition operation in Rafah; conducts massive arrest raids targeting Islamic Jihad, Hamas in Jenin, Qalqilya, Tulkarm; raids the Jenin courthouse, arresting 2 Palestinians. (HA 2/13; PCHR 2/20)

A delegation of 50 senior American Jewish leaders (including Council of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations [CPMAJO] exec. vice dir. Malcolm Hoenlein, fmr. CPMAJO chmn. Ron Lauder), accompanied by 2 reps. of Sharon, meets in Almaty with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as senior ministers fr. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the regional senior execs. of U.S. energy companies. Israeli diplomats serving in the region also take part. The Jewish delegation says that its aim is to “begin a dialog of civilizations” with Muslim leaders to head off a “clash of civilizations”; that it is bringing messages of support from. Bush, Powell, Sharon; that Bush has been “personally involved and supportive in preparations for this mission.” Hoenlein notes that CPMAJO made a similar trip to Uzbekistan in 1996 that led to the establishment of Israeli-Uzbek diplomatic relations in 1997, noting that “sometimes we can have access in places before the Israeli government.” (HA 2/13; see also HA 2/12)