The Palestine Chronology

PLO and Israeli negotiators in Cairo exchange proposals to bridge disagreements on implementing Gaza-Jericho withdrawal. (NYT 12/9)

Secy. of State Christopher meets Egyptian Pres. Mubarak in Cairo, says U.S. does not object to delay in Gaza-Jericho withdrawal if Israel and PLO feel they need "a few more days or whatever period of time to work out some existing problems." (CSM, NYT, WT 12/9)

Settler shot and wounded by Palestinian in Bethlehem. IDF imposes curfew, searches Palestinian homes, detains several suspects. IDF reportedly reinforces troops in o.t. and detains dozens of Palestinian opponents of DoP as preventative measure before anniversary of intifada. (CSM, NYT, WT 12/9)

Palestinian youths in al-Birah erect barricades, bum tires, and stone IDF soldiers after funeral of Rami Ghazzawi, killed 11/16. (MM 11/17)

IDF res. sgt. Haim Darina stabbed to death at Nahal Oz crossing btwn. Gaza Strip and Israel by Palestinian student at Gaza City Islamic College, who is detained by Israeli civilian. Several dozen demonstrators protest recent killings in Jerusalem, some bearing signs calling PM Rabin a "traitor." (MM 11/18)

FM Peres, on Israel radio, warns settlers, saying law applies to "whoever is breaking a law, no matter to which nation he belongs." (MM 11/17)

Israeli Police and Energy M. Moshe Shahal meets in Cairo with Egyptian Oil, Electricity, and Ag. Ms on energy cooperation, setting up 30 mw solar power station to serve Aqaba, Taba, and Eilat. Shahal also carries message to Egyptian Pres. Mubarak fr. FM Peres. (MM 11/17; MENA 11/17, 11/18 in FBIS 11/18)

Egyptian Pres. Mubarak arrives in Washington for meeting with U.S. Pres. Clinton on peace process, U.S. aid to Cairo. (WT 10/23, 10/24

PLO Chmn. Arafat meets in Tunis with U.S. State Dept. official Dennis Ross, NSC official Martin Indyk, then flies to Cairo for meetings with Egyptian Pres. Mubarak, American Jewish Congress trustees seeking end to Arab boycott of Israel. Ross proceeds to Amman for talks with Jordanian officials. (Radio Jordan 10/19 in FBIS 10/20; WP 10/21)

Syria, Saudi Arabia issue joint statement in Riyadh on peace process, saying "'just and comprehensive" settlement only achievable with Israel's "full withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories," including Golan. (MM 10/10)

Israel frees Salim Husayn al-Zrai, 50, held in prison 23 years. Sentenced to life imprisonment in 1970 for infiltration attempt, Fateh activist released because of PLO adherence to its 9/13 commitment not to attack Israel. Release of this longest-held Palestinian prisoner of Israel interpreted as indicating future mass release of Palestinian prisoners. (CSM, NYT 10/20)

Israeli defense officials announce failure of 10/14 test of U.S.-funded Arrow missile. Another test in August also failed, and the GAO issued a report that month criticizing Israeli management of the program (see 10/23). (WT 10/20)

Likud Central Comm. meets in Tel Aviv to consider plans by Binyamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon, and Meir Shitreet on autonomy schemes alternative to DoP. (MM 10/19)

PLO Chmn Arafat tells Arab League FMs meeting in Cairo that "the agreement we have reached is nothing but a first step," acknowledges "there can be no final settlement without a solution on all the Arab tracks." (NYT 9/20)

Israeli PM Rabin and Egyptian Pres. Mubarak meet in Alexandria to discuss implementation of PLO-Israel DoP. Rabin complains of Syrian support for Palestinian opposition factions, while Mubarak states, "I think Syria wants peace, genuinely wants to solve the problem and I have heard this fr. President Asad several times." (NYT 9/19, 9/20; MM 9/20; WP 9/23)

11th round of Syria-Israeli bilateral talks resumes in Washington, Syrian delegate al-'Allaf saying agreement with Israel "unlikely." (SATV 9/7 in FBIS 9/8)

Israeli opponents of DoP demonstrate in Jerusalem; police say 50,000 attend, settler leaders claim as many as 250,000. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/8; CSM 9/9)

PLO Chmn. Arafat meets with Oman's Sultan Qabus to secure Gulf support of PLO-Israel accord after visit to Cairo to meet Egyptian Pres. Mubarak. (MENA 9/7 in FBIS 9/8; WP 9/9)

IDF shoots dead mbr. of PFLP-affiliated "Red Eagles" in Gaza City after he throws grenade at IDF patrol. (MM 9/7)

Likud Knesset delegation submits no-confidence motion against government. Likud motion and those submitted 7/6 by Tsomet and NRP to be debated 7/12. (Qol Yisra'el 7/7 in FBIS 7/7)

Egyptian Pres. Mubarak meets with Syrian Pres. al-Asad in Latakia, Syria to discuss peace process. (SANA 7/7 in FBIS 7/8)

Arab info. mins. open 2-day meeting at Arab League H.Q. in Cairo. (MENA 7/6 in FBIS 7/9)

Pres. Mubarak meets with, receives list of demands from Chmn. Arafat, Faisal Husseini in Cairo. Meeting with PM Rabin 4/14, Mubarak hopes to shore up gaps between Israel and Palestinians as 4/20 date for talks nears. (NYT 4/14, 4/15)

Hizballah roadside bomb kills 3 IDF soldiers on northern edge of "security zone"-heaviest IDF casualties in Lebanon since 10/25/92. Israel unleashes up to 200 shells on villages north of zone. (VOL 4/13 in FBIS 4/13; IDF Radio 4/13 in FBIS 4/14; MM 4/13, 4/14)

FMs of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the PLO end 2-day meeting in Damascus, delay decision on resuming talks with Israel 4/20 in their final statement. (Radio Lebanon 3/29 in FBIS 3/30; NYT, WP 3/30)

Hanan Ashrawi says Palestinians rejected 3/26 U.S. offers, adds that such assurances are basic rights, "not issues for blackmail, negotiations, or pressure." (MM 3/30)

PLO amb. in Cairo Said Kamal says Pres. Asad and Chmn. Arafat have entrusted Pres. Mubarak to negotiate a solution to the deportees and raise new peace talks ideas during his 4/6 talks with Pres. Clinton in Washington. (MM 3/29)

Jordanian PM Sharif Bin-Shakir tells MPs that his govt. does not accept Israeli-Jordanian draft agenda negotiated by the respective delegations and publicized 10/27/92. It is missing some key points, particularly on Jerusalem. (MM 3/30)

IDF shoots 1 Palestinian dead in Jalazun camp, West Bank. Palestinian worker kills settler near Khan Yunis. Settlers burn down mosque in Gaza Strip. (IDF Radio 3/29 in FBIS 3/30; Qol Yisra'el 3/30 in FBIS 3/31; WP 3/30)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Chmn. Arafat in Cairo. (MM 3/29)

Two Palestinians stab Gaza settler to death, settlers riot; Israel seals Strip as of 3/29. Palestinians fire on IDF from car in Gaza City; IDF shoots 1 dead, wounds 2. (Qol Yisra'el 3/28 in FBIS 3/29; MM 3/29; WP 3/29)

New York Times prints letter from the "Liberation Army Fifth Battalion" claiming responsibility for 2/26 World Trade Center bombing. The letter, received by the Times 4 days after the bombing, says U.S. aid to Israel is the bombers' main grievance. (NYT 3/28)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Pres. Asad in Cairo. (MM 3/29)

Hamas gunman shoots Border Policeman dead in Tulkarm. (NYT 3/28; AFP 3/29 in FBIS 3/29; MM 3/29)

Israel/SLA shell villages north of "security zone," killing 1. SLA lose 1 in clashes/roadside bombing near Jezzin. (AFP, VOS 3/27 in FBIS 3/30)

Speaking in Germany, FM Peres says Israel will stop deportations if Palestinians renounce and halt violence. (Qol Yisra'el 3/11 in FBIS 3/12)

Jordanian paper reports that Fateh Cent. Comm. mbr. Nasr Yusuf recently presented Syria with 111-page memo from PLO leadership seeking to restore Syrian-PLO relations. (al-Dustur 3/11 in FBIS 3/11)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Syrian FM al-Shara' in Cairo, accepts message from Pres. Asad. Shara' and Egyptian FM 'Amr Musa then draft and send Egyptian-Syrian memo of joint proposals to Secy. of State Christopher. Shara' approves of phased Israeli withdrawal from the Golan over 7 years. (MENA 3/11 in FBIS 3/11; al-Ahram, RMC 3/13 in FBIS 3/15)

Angering the Kuwaiti govt., opposition-affiliated Kuwaiti Assn. for the Defense of War Victims has enlisted PLO help to account for 600 persons missing since the Gulf war. (MM 3/11)

Israeli for. min. announces Kyrgyzstan will not open an embassy in Jerusalem (as was announced 1/20/93), or anywhere in Israel, for the time being. Ministry blames the diplomatic muddle on Israel's amb. to Kazakhstan, a Labor political appointee. (Qol Yisra'el 3/11 in FBIS 3/12)

Secy. of State Christopher meets with Pres. Mubarak, FM 'Amr Musa in Cairo. Mubarak accepts Christopher's invitation to meet with Pres. Clinton in April. Christopher appeals to Israel to speed up the review process for deportees' individual cases. (NYT, WT 2/19, 2/20; MENA 2/19 in FBIS 2/19)

Chmn. Arafat meets with Pres. Hussein in Baghdad, delivers message from Pres. Mubarak. Egypt and the PLO are leading the effort tobring Iraq back into the "Arab fold." (Jordan Times 2/18-19)

IDF shoots Palestinian youth dead near Tulkarm. (MM 2/19)

Faisal Husseini and 40 delegation associates visit area in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, where homes were leveled by IDF 2/11 to offer sympathy, rally support for negotiations. Hamas and PLO supporters chant allegiance. (MM 2/17)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Chmn. Arafat in Cairo. (WT 2/20; MENA 2/17 in FBIS 2/17)

Israeli Aircraft Industries announces U.S. Def. Dept. has awarded them and American co. TRW a $240m contract to build 56 unmanned airplanes. Sen. Daniel Inouye (DHI) announces U.S. has budgeted $57m to improve Haifa port, which will serve as U.S. Navy's major regional anchorage. But as chmn. of Senate def. appropriations subcomm., he tells Israeli officials that they should prepare for a possible cut in U.S. foreign aid. (MM 2/17; WT 2/18)

Jordan appoints Shaykh Sulayman al-Jabari Mufti of Jerusalem. (MM 2/19)

Israeli justice min. announces that Shin Bet agent in charge when Mustafa 'Akkawi died under 2/4/92 interrogation has been disciplined. (WT 2/18)

IDF shoots 2 Palestinian youths dead in West Bank; another shot dead, while fleeing, 10 minutes after curfew, in Gaza City. (NYT 2/19)

Hizballah and Israeli, SLA forces engage in largest artillery battle of the year, killing 3 Islamic fighters, 2 other Lebanese. Israel shells up to 30 villages, including Nabatiyya. (MM, NYT 2/18)

Faisal Husseini sends letter to acting Secy. of State Eagleburger informing him that the Palestinian delegation will not participate in any bilateral or multilateral peace talks until Israel allows back the 12/17 deportees. (AFP 1/12 in FBIS 1/12)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Chmn. Arafat, then with UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali in Cairo. (MENA 1/7 in FBIS 1/7)

Israel agrees to allow 2 Red Cross officials access to 415 deported Palestinians to ascertain their medical situation. (NYT, WP 1/8)

Knesset approves appointment of Meretz MK Yossi Sarid to be environment minister by vote of 56-34. (JP 1/9)