The Palestine Chronology

PM Netanyahu appoints current Infrastructures M Sharon as FM and chief negotiator with the Palestinians to head upcoming Washington talks, final status negotiations. He also keeps his position as infrastructures M. (MM 10/9; ITV, RMC 10/9, JT, MENA, al-Nahar, al-Ra'i 10/10, al-Akhbar, Petra-JNA, al-Ra'i, VOA 10/11 in WNC 10/14; NYT, WP, WT 10/10; WT 10/11; MM 10/12; CSM 10/14; MM, WJW 10/15; MEI, PR 10/16; MA 10/16 in WNC 10/19; JP 10/17, 10/29) (see 10/8)

In Ankara, Iranian FM Kharrazi discusses Turkish-Syrian tensions with Turkish FM Cem, then phones Egyptian FM Musa to brief him on his mediation efforts. (IRIB Television, IRNA, MENA, SANA 10/9 in WNC 10/14; IRNA 10/15 in WNC 10/16)

Yemen, Eritrea accept ruling of a London-based international arbitration panel that Eritrea should return most islands in the disputed Red Sea Hanish Archipelago that it occupied in 1995. (MM 10/12; JT 10/13 in WNC 10/14)

In continuing clashes in Hebron, 32 Palestinians are wounded by rubber bullets fired by the IDF. (NYT 10/10)

A Palestinian stabs to death an IDF soldier as she gets off a bus in Tomer settlement nr. Jericho. (MM 10/9; NYT, WP 10/10; PR 10/16)

A Palestinian woman dies of complications during labor when the IDF refuses to let her through a checkpoint to reach the Hebron hospital due to the ongoing closure. (PR 10/16) (see 9/22)

The Israeli daily Ma'ariv reports that PM Netanyahu, Labor Chmn Barak recently held (beginning 7/12) a series of detailed secret talks at a Mossad location in central Israel on possibility of forming a unity government. (MM 8/10, 8/14)

In Tel Aviv, Israel, Russia open talks on establishing bilateral consular relations. (ITAR-TASS 8/10 in WNC 8/11; Vesti 8/13 in WNC 8/14; Interfax 8/28 in WNC 8/20) (see 8/8)

U.S. gives Jordan a $54.3-m. grant to help cover costs of Jordan's international debt, economic reform programs, employment generation. (RJ 8/10 in WNC 8/12)

In Tehran, Jordan, Iran discuss expanding technical, industrial cooperation. After mtgs., Jordanian FM Anani leaves for Bahrain. (IRNA, RMC 8/10 in WNC 8/11; JTV 8/11, VOA 8/12 in WNC 8/13) (see 8/9)

An IDF soldier, 1 Hizballah mbr. are injured during a clash in s. Lebanon. (RL 8/10 in WNC 8/11)

In Alexandria, Syria's Pres. Asad briefs Pres. Mubarak on his 7/16+n17 trip to Paris, discusses Arab summit. (ESC Television, MENA, RE, SATN 7/26 in WNC 7/28; MM 7/27)

King Hussein begins chemotherapy for lymphoma at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. (AFP, SA 7/27 in WNC 7/28; NYT, WP, WT 7/29; MM 7/31)

Israeli pres. Weizman warns PM Netanyahu that violence is likely if FRD agmt. is not reached soon, calls for early election. (MM, WP, WT 7/27; JP 8/1) (see 7/1)

Saudi FM Prince Saud arrives in Yemen for talks with Pres. Ali Abdallah Salih on recent clashes. The men sign minutes of the mtg., which outline steps toward resuming border demarcation negotiations. (MM 7/29) (see 7/22)

PM Netanyahu arrives in China for 3-day visit. (MM 5/26)

In Cairo, Arafat attends Arab League mtg. called to commemorate the 50th anniversary of al-Nakba; calls for Arab summit on the peace process. (MENA, RE 5/26 in WNC 5/27)

Egyptian FM `Amr Musa arrives in Amman for talks with King Hussein on Mubarak's trip to France, possible Arab summit; says Pres. Mubarak is discussing summit idea with other Arab leaders, including Morocco's King Hassan, who arrived in Cairo today for 3-day official visit, and Syria's Pres. Asad. (MENA, RE, RJ 5/26 in WNC 5/27; MM 5/27, 5/28)

In Tel Aviv, Israel's DM Yitzhak Mordechai meets with Turkey's dep. chief of staff, Gen. Cevik Bir, for talks on the peace process, furthering military cooperation, possible joint arms projects. (WT 5/27)

Saudi Arabia's FM Prince Saud al-Faisal arrives in Iran for 2-day talks on improving bilateral ties. (WT 5/27)

Hamas's Shaykh Yasin visits Syria's Yarmuk refugee camp, where he receives warm welcome fr. Palestinian refuges. (WP 6/11) (see 5/25)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli border policemen clash with Palestinians protesting illegal construction by Jewish settlers (see 5/25). To halt violence, Israel's Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert bans the construction in the name of Israel's Antiquities Dept., orders the demolition of the settlers' illegal dwellings. (ITV 5/26 in WNC 5/27; MM, NYT 5/27; WJW 5/28; MM 6/3; MEI 6/5; WT 6/9)

Yemen reports that over the past 2 days, Saudi troops have seized the island of Harim in the Red Sea as part of an attempt to pressure Sana' to make territorial concessions in the 2 countries' border demarcation negotiations, which just resumed last wk. The island is 1 of 3 uninhabited but strategically significant Red Sea islands in dispute. (MM 5/26)

3 SLA mbrs., 3 Hizballah mbrs. are killed in 2 clashes in s. Lebanon. 4 civilians are injured, over 100 flee their homes. (ITV, RL, VOL 5/26 in WNC 5/27)

In London, Secy. Albright holds very brief final mtgs. with Arafat, Netanyahu. Albright sets deadline, summoning Arafat, Netanyahu to Washington 5/11. Acceptance of the "invitation" would require both sides to agree to the U.S. 13.1% FRD proposal (which Netanyahu still claims is impossible); and to begin accelerated final status negotiations at the 5/11 mtg., in advance of the redeployments. Arafat agrees, but Netanyahu says he must consult his cabinet at its weekly session 5/10. If Netanyahu fails to come to Washington, administration officials say they would be forced to "reevaluate and reexamine our role" in the peace process. Following the announcement, CPMAJO demands a conference call with Albright 5/6 to denounce pressure on Israel. (MM 5/5; IDF Radio, JTV 5/5, al-Dustur, MENA, VOL, YA 5/6, VOA 5/7 in WNC 5/8; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 5/6; NYT 5/7; CSM, MEI, MM, PR 5/8)

U.S., PA, Israeli teams stay in London to try to bridge gaps on FRD. U.S. delegation presents Netanyahu's C-plus idea to the PA team, which rejects it. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/6)

In Beirut, FM Buwayz discusses Israel's conditional withdrawal proposal with Chinese amb. An Huihou. China says it supports Lebanon's position but does not promise to use its veto should any amendments to UN Res. 425 come before the UNSC. (al-Safir 5/6 in WNC 5/8)

Hamas's Shaykh Yasin arrives in the UAE. (MM 5/7; al-Bayan [Dubai] 5/10 in WNC 5/13; MM 5/12)

Kuwait allows families of 25 Jordanians still detained for allegedly collaborating with Iraq during the Gulf War to fly to Kuwait to visit their relatives. (al-Ra'i 5/5 in WNC 5/8) (see 4/27)

PA GIS agents arrest without charge Reuters reporter Abbas al-Moumani, who delivered Hamas video tape to the PA on 4/9. (LAW 5/8)

Knesset Foreign Affairs Comm. debates proposals for a withdrawal fr. s. Lebanon. (MM 3/16; IDF Radio 3/16 in WNC 3/17; WP 3/17)

UK FM and EU Chmn. Robin Cook arrives in Egypt, the 1st stop on a 3-day Middle East tour; then heads to Jordan. (JTV, LPA, MENA 3/16 in WNC 3/17; JTV, MENA 3/16, RE 3/17 in WNC 3/19; NYT, WT 3/17; PR 3/20)

Under pressure fr. settlers groups, right-wing MKs, PM Netanyahu orders Israeli FMin. to amend press release that termed the 3/13 Hebron incident a provocation by Jewish settlers to say that the settlers' entry into the PA sector was prompted by a Palestinian shooting in a nearby neighborhood. (ITV 3/16 in WNC 3/17)

PA's West Bank Preventive Security Force (PSF) head Col. Jibril Rajub that if settlers reenter the Palestinian sector of Hebron again to attack Palestinians, they will "not leave alive." (ITV 3/16 in WNC 3/17; CSM, NYT, WP 3/17; JP 3/28) (see 3/14)

Vatican "repents" for failing to prevent, halt the Holocaust. Jewish leaders (including Israel's chief rabbi; heads of the American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League) criticize statement as "too little too late." (NYT, WP, WT 3/17; WJW 3/19; MM 3/20; NYT 3/27; JP 3/28; NYT Magazine 4/26)