The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, Palestinian Authority (PA) head Yasir Arafat meets with Yitzhak Molho, personal atty. and adviser to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyhau. No details about the mtg. are released. (WT 8/18)

The PA says it will match Israel's freeze (imposed since the 7/30 bombings) on transfers of monies owed the PA with a selective boycott of Israeli goods, calls for national unity talks with Palestinian groups opposed to the Oslo process. (NYT, WT 8/17; CSM, NYT 8/18; PR 8/22)

Jordanian Amb. to Israel Umar al-Rifa`i submits offical complaint to Israel, stating that he, Jordanian writer Nasir al-Din al-Nashashibi were harassed at an Israel checkpoint into Israel. (al-Dustur 8/17 in WNC 8/20)

PA police arrest 3 Palestinian car thieves who murdered an Israeli taxi driver in Jericho 8/14. Within hrs. the 3 men are tried, convicted to long prison terms. Israeli police praise the move, but government says cooperation in criminal matters does not prove that the PA is cracking down on "terrorism." (WT 8/17; NYT 8/18; CSM, WP 8/19; IGPO 8/28 in WNC 9/4)

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attack Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) bases in s. Lebanon, drawing fire fr. the Lebanese army. No injuries are reported. (RL 8/16, 8/17 in WNC 8/20)

Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles (DoP), mandating establishment of Palestinian self-governing authority in Gaza Strip and Jericho and governing Palestinian-Israeli relations during 5-year interim period, signed at White House ceremony by Israeli FM Peres and PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Mahmud 'Abbas (Abu Mazen). Document is witnessed by U.S. Secy. of State Christopher, Russian FM Andrei Kozyrev. 3,000 guests attend ceremony, marked by speeches by Peres, 'Abbas, Christopher, Kozyrev, U.S. Pres. Clinton, Israeli PM Rabin, and PLO Chmn. Arafat. Handshake between Arafat and Rabin symbolically concludes pact. (NYT, WP, WT 9/14)

Polls show 62% of Israeli Jews, 65% of Palestinians in o.t. support Gaza-Jericho accord. (MM 9/13; CSM 9/14)

Beirut demonstration against PLO-Israel accord by opposition Palestinians and Hizballah. Lebanese troops fire into crowd; at least 6 demonstrators killed, 35 wounded. (NYT 9/14)

Iraqi Undersecy. of Info. Nuri al-Marsumi criticizes DoP, accusing Palestinian negotiators of acting "unilaterally" and predicting agreement "will open the door to in-fighting btwn. the Palestinians themselves." (MM 9/13)

Yediot Aharanot prints English text of Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles (DoP), 1st publication of agreement. (MM, WP, WT 9/1)

Opening of 11th round bilateral Arab-Israeli peace talks in Washington eclipsed by news of Israel-PLO agreement. Eliakim Rubenstein, head of Israeli delegation, remains in Israel while rest of delegation goes to U.S. Rubenstein is rumored to be considering resigning out of opposition to dealing with PLO. (MM 9/1)

Secy. of State Christopher says U.S. will "strongly support" DoP, hints U.S. position on PLO will change due to Israel-PLO accord. (MM, WP 9/1)

PLO Chmn. Arafat concludes meetings in Alexandria with Egyptian Pres. Mubarak, leaves for Khartoum to explain agreement to Sudanese govt. (MENA 8/31 in FBIS 9/1)

Commercial strike in o.t. called by opposition factions only partially observed. (Qol Yisra'el 8/31 in FBIS 8/31)

Poll shows 76.4% of Gazans support Israel-PLO agreement. (ITV 8/31 in FBIS 9/1)

16-year-old Azzam Abu Irmanah shot dead by IDF in Nusayrat refugee camp, Gaza; 3 others wounded in separate incidents. (MM 8/31)

PLO officials in Amman report that PIA brigade in Jordan is being retrained to serve as police in o.t. (MM 8/31)

Jordan's King Hussein flies to Damascus for emergency talks with Syrian Pres. alAsad concerning PLO-Israel agreement. Syrian spokesman Jubran Kourieh calls accord "a surprise to the 2 countries and over which there has been no coordination btwn. the Arab parties." (MM 8/31, 9/1; NYT 9/1)

Hamas spokesman in Amman Muhammad Nazzal says Islamist group will continue to fight for complete Israeli withdrawal, but says organization may take part in elections in enclaves vacated under "Gaza-Jericho lst" plan. (MM 8/31)