The Palestine Chronology

On the 4th day of Palestinian-Israeli clashes, another attempt to secure a cease-fire fails, and rioting spreads to Israeli cities, including Acre, Jaffa, Nazareth, Tel Aviv, and Israeli Arab towns across the Galilee. In Umm al-Fahm, 1 Israeli Arab is shot dead by Israeli police, sparking massive rioting. In the West Bank and Gaza, the IDF rolls out heavy weapons--including tanks, antitank missiles, attack helicopters, grenades--to combat stone-throwing Palestinians, resulting in another 12 Palestinian fatalities, over 200 Palestinians wounded. The 1st IDF soldier is killed in street clashes (see 9/29). Jewish settlers in Jerusalem open fire on a Palestinian car, killing a toddler. The 1st confirmed incidents of Palestinians shooting at IDF troops take place in Gaza and Ramallah, but no IDF injuries are reported. The IDF places a 24-hr. curfew on Palestinians in Hebron. Israel states that its troops have "exercised restraint," accuses the PA of "orchestrating a campaign of spreading violence for political gain." Clinton phones Arafat to urge him to halt the violence; says that once the fighting stops, he will convene PA, Israeli security officials for a fact-finding session "to figure out what went wrong." (PCHR 10/1; IRNA, MENA 10/1 in WNC 10/2; AFP 10/1, IRNA 10/2 in WNC 10/3; AP, CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/2; HA [Internet], MM, NYT 10/3; MEI 10/13)

On his 1st official visit abroad as head of state, Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad arrives in Cairo to meet with Pres. Mubarak. Talks touch on bilateral relations, the peace process, Jerusalem. (MENA 10/1 in WNC 10/2, 10/3)

In Amman, Jordanians, Palestinians demonstrate against Israel's use of excessive force against Palestinians. (JT 10/5 in WNC 10/6)

Knesset votes 39-20 to revise 1986 law to legalize contacts with all factions of the PLO. (MM 1/13, 1/19; NYT, WP 1/20)

U.S. State Dept. releases its annual human rights report, noting 62% rise in IDF killings of Palestinians during 1991. (MM 1/20)

Pres.-elect Clinton transition team announces Edward Djerejian will retain his post as Asst. Secy. of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs; Dennis Ross, of Policy Planning, will become a consultant to the State Dept. on the peace process; Martin Indyk, exec. dir. of AIPAC-affiliated Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will become chief advisor on Arab-Israeli issues at the Nat'l. Security Council. (NYT 1/19)

Settlers open fire on Palestinian youths stoning their car, killing a 12-year-old boy, in Gaza City. Since 1/14, 5 Palestinians under the age of 15 have been killed in the Gaza Strip. (MM 1/19)

Kyrgyzstan's Pres. Askar Akayev, during a visit to Jerusalem, calls for "independence for the Palestinians." He is the 1st Muslim head of state to visit Jerusalem since Anwar Sadat. (MM 1/20)