The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers encroaching on Palestinian-owned lands in Nil‘in were forced to leave after being confronted by Palestinians. 4 Palestinians were arrested in al-Khadir, Nablus, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen on 2 separate occasions, damaging 1 boat with live ammunition; no injuries were reported. The Gaza fishing zone was closed by Israeli authorities. 1 Israeli drone crashed in Gaza; it was unclear if it had been shot down. (JP, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/28; HA, PCHR 4/29)

After speculation of whether the PA would cancel the upcoming Palestinian elections, citing Israel’s unwillingness to allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to partake, Hamas said that it opposes postponing elections while calling East Jerusalem “a red line.” Hamas cited the Oslo Accords as a legal argument for why Palestinians in East Jerusalem should be allowed to partake. According to unnamed PA sources, PA president Mahmoud Abbas should already have made the decision to postpone the elections. Israel has not officially said if it will allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to partake in Palestinian elections. President Abbas also discussed the Palestinian elections with EU representative to Palestine Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff. (HA, HA, WAFA 4/28; AP 4/29)

Israeli deputy prime minister and defense minister Benny Gantz was appointed as justice minister 1 day after Benjamin Netanyahu, who is standing trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, tried to appoint a member of his own party, Ofir Akunis, as justice minister. The Israeli supreme court voided the appointment of Akunis hours after he was given the portfolio. (ALM, HA, HA, JP 4/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to 3 cars and sprayed racist graffiti in Bayt Iksa. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near ‘Urif, damaging 2. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bayt Hanina, Husan, Bethlehem, and Tubas; 1 Palestinian was hospitalized for his injuries after Israeli forces assaulted him during the raid in Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police said it had arrested 8 Israeli settlers for 2 attacks on Palestinians involving pepper spray. 8 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City. In Gaza, Israel said that 2 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel but landed within Gaza. The Gaza fishing zone was closed by Israeli authorities. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen on 2 separate occasions, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet. (WAFA 4/27; HA, HA, WAFA 4/28; HA, PCHR 4/29)

Israel said it shot down a drone flying into Israeli airspace from Lebanon, claiming it was operated by Hezbollah. (AP 4/27)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is standing trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, tried to appoint Ofir Akunis, a member of his own party, as justice minister. Hours later, the Israeli supreme court canceled Akunis’s appointment. (HA 4/28)

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said that Israel is guilty of committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. The 213-page report named “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution” maintained that “Israeli authorities methodically privilege Jewish Israelis and discriminate against Palestinians. Laws, policies, and statements by leading Israeli officials make plain that the objective of maintaining Jewish Israeli control over demographics, political power, and land has long guided government policy. In pursuit of this goal, authorities have dispossessed, confined, forcibly separated, and subjugated Palestinians by virtue of their identity to varying degrees of intensity. In certain areas, as described in this report, these deprivations are so severe that they amount to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the report, urging the international community to intervene. The Israeli foreign ministry said that HRW is known to be anti-Israel. B’Tselem reached the same conclusion earlier this year and many Palestinian organizations have maintained for many years that Israel is guilty of apartheid. (AJ, CNN, GDN, HA, MDW, NPR, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/27; ALM, CSM, HA, HA, TOI 4/28; TOI 4/29; IN 4/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up tents on Palestinian-owned land in Taqqua and 2 mobile homes in Asira. Israeli forces demolished barracks and construction materials in Jinsafut. 11 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Kaubar, Jalazun refugee camp, al-Izzariya, Qalandia, Sa‘ir, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during a raid in Issawiyya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza City; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/5; PCHR 4/8)

The PA sent letters to members of the Quartet for Middle East Peace, urging them to pressure Israel to allow East Jerusalemites to partake in the upcoming elections. (WAFA 4/5)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas went to Germany for a medical checkup. President Abbas was later said to be in good health. (AJ, AP, HA 4/5; AJ, AP, WAFA 4/7; WAFA 4/8)

The trial against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu began after many delays. Prime Minister Netanyahu is charged with fraud, bribery, and breach of trust. Netanyahu’s trial began on the same day as Israeli president Reuven Rivlin started consulting with Israeli party leaders to determine who will go 1st at trying to form a government. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 4/5; HA 4/6)

The Jerusalem Post reported that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has halted shipments of 700,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Israel because the country owes the company payment for 2.5 million doses of vaccines already delivered. Israel made a deal with the company, allowing them to use more collected data by the Israeli health system, and paid more per dose than any other country. (JP 4/5)

Former Jordanian crown prince Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who was put under house arrest on 4/3, said in a voice recording that he will not stay silent, thus disobeying the Jordanian army’s orders not to communicate with anyone. Prince Hamzah is accused of being part of a plot against his half-brother King Abdullah II. Later in the day, Prince Hamzah was said to have pledged allegiance to King Abdullah in a letter after talking to his and Abdullah II’s uncle Prince Hassan. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 4/5; HA 4/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished a shack housing 11 people east of Yatta. 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bayt Umar, al-Shuyukh, and Dahaysha refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith during a house raid in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian farmland on 2 separate occasions east of Khuza‘a and Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen on 2 separate occasions off the shore of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA 11/21; PCHR 11/28)

Israel’s attorney general Avichai Mendelblit announced that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in the corruption cases 1000, 2000, and 4000. (HA, HA, NYT 11/21; CNN 11/22)

107 members of U.S. congress signed a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticizing the decision to no longer consider Israeli settlements illegal under international law, announced on 11/18. The letter was initiated by Andy Levin (D-MI) and expressed “strong disagreement with the State Department’s decision to reverse decades of bipartisan U.S. policy on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.” The members of congress further warned that the U.S. administration’s policies have “discredited the United States as an honest broker between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.” (HA 11/23)

The Netherlands announced that it will stop paying $1.5 million yearly in aid to the PA because of the stipends the PA pays to families of Palestinian prisoners and families of Palestinians killed by Israel. Israel frames these payments as “terrorist salaries.” The head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association said, “From a Palestinian perspective, the payments are meant to assist the families of Palestinians who are imprisoned by Israel for various political charges.” Pro-Israel lobbies in the Netherlands have tried to persuade the country from contributing to the PA. (AJ, HA 11/21)

The United Arab Emirates announced a new $12.5 million contribution to UNRWA. (WAFA 11/21)

A female Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device in West Jerusalem, killing 1 Israeli, wounding 2 seriously, 5 moderately. This marks the 1st suicide bombing carried out by a Palestinian woman, though 2 women have been caught placing bombs previously during the al-Aqsa intifada. A release faxed to Hizballah's TV station in Lebanon identifies the woman by name as a Palestinian Hamas mbr. from Nablus University, but neither the school nor the PA can find a woman by that name; no women are reported missing. In response, the Israeli air force flies low-level sorties over Gaza City, breaking the sound barrier, shattering windows. The IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Khan Yunis, Nablus. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/28; DUS, MA 1/28 in WNC 1/29; Guardian [Internet] 1/29; NYT 1/30; SA 2/2 in WNC 2/4; JP 2/8)

MK Salah Tarif, Israel's 1st Arab cabinet mbr., resigns, saying he can no longer effectively perform his job in light of an announcement last wk. that Atty. Gen. Rubenstein planned to lift his immunity and indict him for fraud. Tarif has consistently denied charges, 1st raised in 2001, that he gave $5,000 to an Interior M official to obtain citizenship papers for a Palestinian businessman. (WP, WT 1/28)

Israeli Arabs hold a demonstration in Umm al-Fahm protesting Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. (al-Quds 1/28 in WNC 1/29)

PA, Israeli teams resume FAPS talks at Bolling AFB. (WJW 4/6; WP 4/7)

In Beirut, Lebanese pres. Lahoud, UN special envoy Terje Larsen discuss Israel's plans to pull out of s. Lebanon in 7/00. Lahoud gives Larsen a letter outlining Lebanon's concerns regarding a unilateral IDF withdrawal. (MM 4/6; MM, NYT 3/7; MEI 4/21)

Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-AL), chmn. of the House Appropriations Subcomm., vows to block $250 m. in FY 2001 aid to Israel to offset its profit fr. the planned sale of AWACS technology to China, if the sale goes through. (WP 4/7, 4/11; WJW 4/13, 4/20) (see 4/3)

After a 2-mo. investigation, Israel police conclude that Pres. Weizman committed fraud, breach of trust by accepting unreported funds and favors from 2 private businessmen but say he cannot be indicted because the statute of limitations has run out. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/7; MM, WT 4/10; WJW 4/13; JP 4/14) (see 1/20)

The IDF evacuates Jewish settlers fr. Havat Maon. (NYT 4/7) (see 4/5)

Jordanian riot police stand by as University of Jordan students stage a peaceful 2-hr. sit-in to protest the university's decision to appoint half of the student council. (JT 4/7 in WNC 4/11) (see 4/4)

The 1st round of PA-Israeli FAPS talks at Bolling ends. The State Dept. says the teams spent this round "attempting to achieve a better understanding of each other's needs and requirements." No progress was made on narrowing the gaps in their positions. Teams agree to open a 2d round of talks at Bolling on 4/6. (NYT, WP, WT 3/29; AYM, al-Quds 3/29 in WNC 3/30; AYM 4/1 in WNC 4/6)

Barak phones Egypt's Mubarak in Washington to brief him on Israel's views on the 3/26 Clinton-Asad mtg. in Geneva. Egyptian FM Musa phones Syrian FM Shara` to discuss Syria's view of the 3/26 mtg. (MENA 3/28 in WNC 3/29; MEI 4/7)

In Washington for talks on bilateral relations, Pres. Mubarak meets with Pres. Clinton to discuss the peace process. Clinton calls for "intensifying" PA-Israeli negotiations, says that "the ball is in [Asad's] court" regarding movement on the Syrian-Israeli track. (MENA 3/28 in WNC 3/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/29; MENA 3/29 in WNC 3/30; MM 3/30; DUS, MENA 3/30 in WNC 3/31; MM 4/3; MEI 4/7)

Jordan indicts 28 Arabs allegedly linked to Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden on terrorism charges for conspiring to attack U.S., Israeli targets during New Year's celebrations. 15 suspects are in custody; 13 others are at large. Most of the suspects are Jordanian, others are Algerian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Yemeni. (DUS 3/28 in WNC 3/29; NYT, WP 3/29; DUS 3/29 in WNC 3/30; NYT 4/11)

After a 7-mo. investigation, Israeli police recommend that fmr. PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara be indicted on criminal charges of fraud, bribery, theft of 700 state gifts worth $100,000, obstruction of justice. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/29)

Bowing to Washington, OPEC agrees to boost oil output. (Iran refuses to sign the agmt. in protest to the U.S. but agrees to comply in effect.) Clinton calls the move "good news . . . for the American consumer," but many OPEC officials complain that the heavy-handed U.S. pressure (especially fr. Energy Secy. Bill Richardson, who hopes to be chosen as VP Al Gore's running mate for the 11/00 U.S. elections) makes their own political and economic situations more awkward. (CSM, NYT, WP 3/29; WP 3/30; MEI 4/7) (see 3/24)