The Palestine Chronology

On the sidelines of th EU FMs' mtg. in Brussels, Arafat, Israeli FM Levy hold the highest Israeli-PA mtg. since the pair met in Malta 4/15. Afterward, both men say that they made significant progress toward resuming Oslo II implementation negotiations. (MM 7/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/23; YA 7/25 in WNC 7/28)

In Washington, Israeli cabinet secy. Nave holds 2d mtg. with U.S. special envoy Ross. (MM, NYT 7/23; WJW 7/24) (see 7/21)

In Jerusalem, Israeli pres. Ezer Weizman discusses with Arafat dep. Abbas ways of restarting the peace talks. (NYT 7/24)

On their way fr. attending a Fatah rally in Nablus in support PA policeman Col. Musaymi (see 7/20), 4 PC mbrs. (all Fatah mbrs.) are arrested by the IDF, detained under orders fr. "high places" at the IDF's West Bank military headquarters for 5 hrs. (PR 7/25)

In Tel Aviv, an Israeli Arab wielding a sword and knife stabs 2 Israeli women at a sidewalk cafe, lightly injures 11 others. In a separate incident in Gaza, a Palestinian woman stabs, slightly wounds an Israeli border guard nr. a Jewish settlement; is arrested by PA police. (WP 7/23; PR 7/25; JP 8/2)

PA reports that the IDF has sent 8 tanks, several armored personnel carriers, long-range 175-mm. Howitzer guns into Gaza to reinforce Gush Qatif settlement bloc. (al-Hayat al-Jadida 7/22 in WNC 7/23)

Syria allows businessmen to travel to Iraq individually, declaring void explicit restrictions on travel to Iraq that have been placed on Syrian passports since 1980. (RMC 7/22 in WNC 7/23) (see 7/19)

In Cairo, Egyptian FM Musa receives an Israeli Peace Now delegation headed by Mordechai Bar-On. (RE 7/14 in WNC 7/16)

Following talks 7/13, 200 PA policemen resume joint patrols with the IDF in Hebron in an attempt to quell riots. IDF allows some shops in the downtown area to reopen (see 7/12). (MM 7/14; CSM, MM, NYT, WT 7/15; MM 7/16; MEI 7/25)

IDF claims that the PA is paying protesters $8+n$11 for every day that they participate in disturbances against the IDF in Hebron. PA denies this. (MM 7/14; IDF Radio, MA 7/14 in WNC 7/16)

IDF arrests 3 PA policemen who were allegedly planning an attack on the Jewish settlement of Har Bracha nr. Nablus. This is the 1st time that the IDF has arrested any mbr. of the PA security services. (YA 7/15 in IL 7/15; ITV 7/16 in WNC 7/17; PR, WT 7/18; ITV 7/18 in WNC 7/22; MEI 7/25)

In Bayt Sahur, an explosion in an apartment kills 1 Palestinian man, wounds a woman. IDF claims that the man, Issa Khalil Shukah, was a mbr. of Hamas. (PR 7/18)

Palestinians clash with IDF in the West Bank town of Bayt Sahur. 1 Palestinian boy is killed by rubber bullet to the head. (WT 7/17; PR 7/18)

In East Jerusalem, IDF demolishes Palestinian home allegedly built without a permit. (YA 7/14 in WNC 7/16)

Iraqi trade delegation postpones indefinitely a visit to Lebanon planned for next mo. (INA 7/14 in WNC 7/16) (see 7/11)

In s. Lebanon, 2 Lebanese civilians are killed, 1 is wounded by Israeli shelling. (RL 7/14, 7/15 in WNC 7/16)

In Amsterdam, a 2-day mtg. of EU leaders closes. Attendees issue statement for the 1st time urging Israel not to rule out the possibility of a Palestinian state. (MM 6/18)

In Washington, U.S. secy. of state Albright informs visiting Crown Prince Hassan of U.S. plans to give Jordan $100 m./yr. in aid for the next 5 yrs. (al-Aswaq, al-Dustur, JT 6/17, RJ 6/18 in WNC 6/19; MM, WT 6/18; WJW 6/19; JT 6/19 in WNC 6/20; al-Dustur 6/20 in WNC 6/23; MEI 6/27)

The Senate passes a version of House Res. 1757 that contains a section prohibiting most financial transactions with "state sponsors of terrorism," including Syria. A conference comm. must now work out the differences btwn. the bills. (WJW 7/24; MEI 7/25) (see 6/11)

6 wks. after the IDF forcibly evacuated settlers fr. their outpost nr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus (5/6), several settler families are living on the disputed site, guarded by IDF reservists, while IDF bulldozers break ground to expand the settlement and build a permanent IDF lookout. (YA 6/17 in WNC 6/19) (see 5/7)

Hani `Abd al-Rahim Sayigh, the Saudi accused of participating in the 6/25/96 al-Khobar barracks bombing, is extradited to the U.S. from Canada to provide testimony that could link Iran, Syria to the attack. Under his deal with the FBI, Sayigh will plead guilty to plotting a different attack that never took place in exchange for telling all he knows about the al-Khobar incident. (WP, WT 6/18; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/19; MM 6/24) (see 3/30)

Iraq announces that it will begin rebuilding, expanding the al-Tanf border post with Syria in the next wk. (MEI 6/13; WT 6/18; MM 6/30) (see 6/2, 6/4, 6/14)

In Hebron, IDF troops clash with Palestinian demonstrators for the 4th day, wounding 17 Palestinian. An AP photographer is attacked, kicked in the head by a Jewish settler; IDF soldiers do not intervene. (WP, WT 6/18; MEI 6/27)

Visiting delegation of American Reform and Conservative Jewish leaders convinces PM Netanyahu to shelve the legislation that would give Orthodox rabbinical courts exclusive jurisdiction over government recognition of conversions to Judaism (see 4/1), form 7-mbr. comm. (comprising 5 Orthodox, 1 Reform, 1 Conservative) to investigate the issue. (WT 6/20)