The Palestine Chronology

Russian FM Primakov arrives in Amman for 3-day visit, meets with Jordanian FM Tarawnah, then leaves for unscheduled visit to Syria. (ITAR-TASS [Moscow], SANA 10/27, MBC, RMC 10/28 in WNC 10/29; WT 10/28; MM 10/29; RL 10/29 in WNC 10/30; MEI 11/7; JP 11/8)

PM Netanyahu gives address to opening of the Knesset's winter session, which is interrupted frequently by hecklers; calls for peace with Arabs based on firm security, self-defense; vows to prevent creation of Palestinian state or return of Golan and to build more settlements. Labor Chmn. Barak gives speech, urging Netanyahu's resignation. (ITV 10/27 in WNC 10/29; MM, NYT, WT 10/28; WJW 10/30)

Yemen announces plans to send low-level delegation to Doha economic summit; says it delegation will attend only to visit "a sisterly country . . . , not to hold talks with the Israeli government." (JTV 10/27 in WNC 10/29)

Israel warns Holland that it may expel diplomat Ferdinand Schmidt if he does not stop criticizing Israel in the media. (IDF Radio 10/28 in WNC 10/29)

In Beirut, 2 bombs, one at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and one at a newly completed bus station, explode, causing no injuries. The bombing at AUB, which occured just hrs. after a reception for AUB's new pres., marks the 1st attack on a foreign institution in Lebanon in 4 yrs. (NYT 10/28; MBC, RL, RMC, VOL 10/28 in WNC 10/29; MM 10/29; RL  10/29 in WNC 10/30; al-Quds al-`Arabi 10/29, RL 10/30 in WNC 11/3; WP 10/30)

Netanyahu phones Egypt's Pres. Husni Mubarak, Jordan's King Hussein; asks them to pressure Arafat to take furter actions against Islamists. (WT 8/25)

Arafat meets with a congressional delegation led by Rep.  Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), chmn. of the House International Relations Comm. Delegation proposes forming a group of Palestinian Council (PC) mbrs., MKs, congressmen to help build confidence. (MM 8/22; WT 8/23; JP 8/30)

Ha'Aretz publishes poll of 500 Israeli Jews' views of Israeli Arabs: 56.4% say Arab citizens should not be allowed to vote, 51.6% say Israeli Arabs should be transferred to a Palestinian state when it comes into being, 39.8% view Israeli Arabs as a threat to the country. (MM 8/21)

Labor Chmn. Ehud Barak fires more than half the staff at party headquarters, citing an NIS 80 m. debt. (MA 8/29 in WNC 9/2; JP 8/30)

Israel sends Russia a "stronly worded" letter saying that its relations with Russia have been severely strained over Russian military aid to Iran for development of long-range missiles. (NYT 8/25)

Iraqi, Syrian industrial delegations meet in Latakia to discuss port capabilities, storage capacities. (SANA 8/21 in WNC 8/25) (see 8/19)

In Jazzin, a Lebanese civilian is killed by a roadside bomb. Hizballah, Israel blame eachother. (AFP, RL 8/21 in WNC 8/22)

Senior coalition MKs charge that Dr. Nimrod Novick, a fmr. adviser of Peres, delivered a document to the U.S. administration, outlining a U.S. initiative for resumption of Israeli-PA talks. (MM 7/24; YA 7/24 in WNC 7/25; ITV 7/24 in WNC 7/28)

At Erez checkpoint, Arafat, Labor Chmn. Barak meet; agree to set up joint comm. to exchange updates about the peace process. (IDF Radio 7/24 in WNC 7/25)

Ma'ariv publishes excerpts of what it claims are secret government documents about the permanent arrangement with the PA. According to the excerpts, which have similarities to the Abbas-Beilin proposal (see Doc. C3 in JPS 101), the Likud-led government would "agree to the existence of an independent Palestinian entity," with long-term restrictions on sovereignty. The documents reportedly also list in descending order of preference various options for each final status issue. Netanyahu admits the position paper was written but dismisses it as "not important," a draft, not policy. (MM 7/24; MA 7/24 in WNC 7/25, 7/28; MM 7/25)

Israeli Mayor of Jerusalem Olmert gives immediate permission for a right-wing American Jewish developer, Irving Moskowitz, to break ground for a new 70-unit Jewish settlement in the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud. Netanyahu says the move is legal, but the timing is wrong; he will block the plan. PA calls move deeply provocative. (MM, NYT 7/25; IDF Radio 7/25 in WNC 7/28; NYT, WP, WT 7/26; ITV, YA 7/27, IDF Radio 7/28 in WNC 7/29; WJW 7/31; JP 8/2, 8/9)

Backed by Israel's Histadrut labor federation, 60,000 workers at state-owned companies observe 1-day strike in solidarity with Bezeq telephone company employees, who are protesting government privatization programs. (NYT 7/25, 7/26)

Pres. Mubarak says that Iran is seeking military cooperation with Egypt to counter the growing military ties btwn. Israel, Turkey; Egypt will not take an immediate decision on the request. (al-Ahram 7/24 in WNC 7/29)

Syria opens 4th border crossing with Iraq. (see 7/22)

IAF's consultative council votes (80-16) to boycott Jordan's 11/97 elections. (MM 7/24, 7/25; RMC 7/24 in WNC 7/25; al-Dustur 7/25 in WNC 7/28; al-Dustur 7/29 in WNC 7/30) (see 7/23)

In s. Lebanon, 5 SLA mbrs. are wounded by 2 car bombs. In a separate incident, 1 IDF soldier is injured when an IDF artillery gun misfires while shelling Hizballah positions. (RL 7/24 in WNC 7/25; WT 8/6)