The Palestine Chronology

In Paris, PM Barak discusses with Pres. Chirac the role of France, the EU in restarting the peace process. Chirac stresses that he has conveyed no messages btwn. Barak and Syrian pres. Asad, whose FM was in Paris on 9/18. (MM 9/22; AFP, France-Info Radio, LCI Television 9/22 in WNC 9/25; MM, NYT 9/23; MA 9/23 in WNC 9/26)

On the sidelines of the UNGA mtg. in New York, Secy. of State Albright holds a breakfast mtg. with Egyptian FM Musa to discuss the peace process, Iraq, bilateral ties; urges Egypt to take the lead in resuming multilateral talks now that Wye II has been signed and final status talks formally resumed. Egypt has not decided whether the time is right for multilateral working groups to restart mtgs. (MM 9/22; MENA 9/22 in WNC 9/25; MM, WT 9/23; MEI 10/1)

Later in the day, Albright meets with Syrian FM Shara` to discuss resuming Israeli-Syrian negotiations. (MM 9/22; MENA 9/22 in WNC 9/25; MM, WT 9/23; MM 9/24; RMC 9/25 in WNC 9/27; MEI 10/1)

This evening, Albright hosts a reception for Israeli FM Levy. 12 Arab, several EU reps. attend. Lebanese PM Huss, Syrian FM Shara` stay away. The U.S. and Russian cohosts urge attendees to resume multilateral talks regardless of the degree of progress in other negotiations. (MM 9/22; MENA 9/22 in WNC 9/25; MM, WT 9/23; MM 9/28; WJW 9/30; MEI 10/1, 10/29)

Jordan arrests 3 Hamas leaders (Abu Marzuq, Ghawshah, Mishal), 4 bodyguards on their return to Amman fr. Iran, charging them with membership in an illegal organization and possession of handguns. Abu Marzuq, a Yemeni-passport holder, is deported to the UAE, his point of departure for Jordan. (MM 9/22; AFP 9/22 in WNC 9/25; MM, NYT, WP 9/23; AFP, RMC 9/23 in WNC 9/26; CSM, MM 9/24; WT 9/26; MM 9/27; WJW 9/30; JP, MEI 10/1; NYT, WP 10/7; MEI 10/15) (see 9/13)

In s. Lebanon, a Lebanese soldier is killed, 6 are wounded by IDF shelling. (WP 9/23; RL 9/23 in WNC 9/26; WP 9/24)

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)

U.S. special envoy Ross arrives in the Middle East; holds talks in Gaza with Arafat, in Jerusalem with Netanyahu. (WP 4/15; CSM, WP 4/16)

EU-Mediterranean business conference opens in Malta. Arafat, Israeli FM Levy meet on the sidelines in the highest level contact since talks broke down in 3/97. (CSM, MM, WT 4/15; Radio France Internationale [Paris] 4/15 in WNC 4/16; CSM, MM 4/16; De Volkskrank [Amsterdam], SANA 4/16 in WNC 4/17; CSM, NYT, WP 4/17; MEI, PR 4/18)

On the sidelines of the Malta conference, Jordanian FM Tarawnah, Syrian FM Shara` discuss improving bilateral relations. (al-Dustur 4/23 in WNC 4/24)

In Surif, 3 critically ill Palestinians die when IDF troops enforcing curfew deny them access to medical treatment. (NYT 4/16)

Israeli police recommend felony indictments in the Bar-On affair be sought against Justice M Hanegbi, chief of staff Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu political ally and Shas head Arye Deri. (ITV 4/15 in WNC 4/16; MM, WP, WT 4/16; YA 4/16 in WNC 4/17) (see 2/28)

In Mina, Saudi Arabia, an estimated 210 Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani pilgrims participating in the Hajj are killed, 800 are injured when canisters of cooking fuel ignite tents. At least 70,000 tents are destroyed, leaving 100,000s of pilgrims temporarily without shelter. (CSM, NYT, WP, WT 4/16; MM 4/22, 4/24; MEI 5/2)

SLA releases 7 detainees fr. al-Khiyam prison in s. Lebanon to mark the end of Ramadan. (RL 4/15 in WNC 4/16)

Israel says that, under a Hebron deal, PA policemen may operate in H2 as part of joint mobile units. (Hatzofe 12/10 in WNC 12/11)

Jordanian Information M Marwan Mu`ashir begins 5-day trip to Tel Aviv, emphasizes Jordan's concern over Israeli settlement policy. (JT 12/10 in WNC 12/11; IDF Radio 12/11 in WNC 12/12; MEI 12/20)

The U.S. consul general says that Israel is threatening to revoke residency rights of Palestinian-Americans living in Jerusalem unless they give up their U.S. passports. The U.S. protests, says it knows of 60 cases when Israelis threatened Americans with the loss of their Jerusalem IDs. (WP 12/10; PR 12/20; JP 12/21)

Israel grants special entry permits to 120 Palestinian journalists accredited by the IGPO. (IGPO 12/10 in WNC 12/12)

PA allocates only $40,000 of the $70,000 necessary to stage the annual Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem. (WT 12/11; WT 12/23; PR 12/20)

In Beirut, EU special envoy Moratinos meets with Lebanese FM Buwayz. (RL 12/10 in WNC 12/11; MEI 1/24)

Iraq says it will give Turkey priority in exporting Iraqi oil now that the UN oil-for-food deal has been implemented. (INA 12/10 in WNC 12/11) (see 12/9)

ILMG continues discussions begun 12/9. (RMC 12/10 in WNC 12/11; RL 12/10 in WNC 12/12)

New EU rotating head, Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez arrives in Jerusalem on 1st leg of regional tour to show EU political, economic support of the peace process; meets with PM Rabin then with Arafat. (MM 9/12; JP 9/12 in FBIS 9/13; JP 9/23)

Lebanese M Michel al-Murr travels to Damascus to ask Pres. Asad to forbid entry to Palestinians deported fr. Libya unless they have visas to continue on to Lebanon. PM Hariri stresses that Lebanon is fully coordinating its position on the deportees with Syria. (MM 9/12)

U.S. protests Arab League, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) plan to hold conference in Jerusalem 10/17-19. 70 states, excl. Israel have been invited. Arab League, OIC say U.S. approved plans 4 mos ago, but Israel's recent complaints let to formal U.S. disapproval. U.S. denies this. (WT 9/12)

PFLP mbrs Shahar and Yusuf Ra'i, wanted by Israel for killing 2 Israelis 7/18, are sentenced by the PA military court in Jericho to 7 yrs each. Israeli Justice M Liba'i calls trials a violation of the Oslo agmt. meant to avoid extraditing the pair. FM Peres says PA is not violating the DOP. (MM 9/12; IDF Radio, QY 9/12, QY 9/13 in FBIS 9/13; NYT 9/13) (see 8/27)

Likud party defector David Levy releases his new party's political platform, calling for secure peace; terming itself a "national-social centrist party" filling a vacuum btwn. the radical right (Likud), radical left (Labor); vowing not to withdraw fr. West Bank or give up Jerusalem, any settlements. (MA, QY 9/11 in FBIS 9/12)

The Israeli Interior Min. rejects Jonathan Pollard's request for citizenship. Pollard is currently jailed in the U.S. for spying on behalf of Israel. (QY 9/11 in FBIS 9/12; MM 9/29)

3 Hizballah mbrs. are killed in clash with IDF in s. Lebanon. (RL 9/11 in FBIS 9/12)

PA Justice M Frayh Abu-Midyan is denied entry to Israel for talks on judicial affairs, misses scheduled mtg. with Israeli Justice M Liba'i. (MM 9/4, 9/6; QY 9/4 in FBIS 9/6; Hatzofe 9/8 in FBIS 9/8)

PM Rabin, FM Peres make surprise visit to Hebron to view conditions, examine security options for themselves. (MM 9/4; QY 9/4 in FBIS 9/5; CSM 9/5; WJW 9/7)

Israel's Jerusalem 3000 celebration, marking the anniversary of King David's capture of the city, begins. Of 70 ambs invited, 53--incl. U.S. Amb. Indyk and 15 EU ambs.--stay away fr. the opening ceremony. (WT 9/4; QY 9/4, 9/5 in FBIS 9/5; MM, NYT 9/5; ITV, QY 9/5, JP 9/6 in FBIS 9/6; CSM, WJW, WT 9/7; WT 9/10; JP 9/16) (see 8/15)

Israeli Dep. FM Eli Dayan travels to Cairo to discuss POW issue with Egyptian FM Musa, criticizes the Egyptian media for wrongly accusing Israeli Amb. to Egypt David Sultan of personally participating in the killing of POWs. (MENA, QY 9/4 in FBIS 9/5; MENA, QY 9/5 in FBIS 9/6; MM 9/7) (see 8/28)

Following reports that he has been seeking a deal for Syria, Israeli Dep. FM Beilin admits he has informally discussed economic aid, debt rescheduling for Syria with EU nations (incl. Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden); suggested they draw up plans (preferably to be presented at EU business conference in Barcelona 11/95) to be implemented after an agmt. that would encourage Syria to negotiate seriously. (MM 6/21; IDF Radio, JP 6/21 in FBIS 6/21; MM 6/22)

FM Peres, Justice M Liba'i, DMin. officials hold mtg. on easing restrictions, facilitating process for Jordanians' entry into Israel. (QY 6/21 in FBIS 6/22)

FM Peres, Dep. FM Beilin say scope, pace of pullout fr. West Bank will be set by speed of building bypass roads. PM Rabin complains that high cost of protecting West Bank settlements needlessly directs money away fr. other important government projects, investments; building bypass roads could cost $250,000 per family. (MM 6/21; IDF Radio, QY 6/21 in FBIS 6/21; ITV 6/21 in FBIS 6/22; MM, NYT, WT 6/22)