The Palestine Chronology

Sec. Baker tells NATO allies he expects Saddam Hussein to take dramatic step, such as partial pullout from Kuwait, just before UN resolution authorizing use of force goes into effect on 1/15. NATO ministers issue statement saying "there can be no partial solutions" [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 12/18; CSM 12/19].

Iraq asks European Community to go ahead with scheduled high-level meeting on 12/20 in Rome between European leaders and Iraqi F.M. Aziz [NYT, WP 12/18].

Fourteen former senior gov't. officials, including former NSC advisers Richard Allen and Robert McFarlane, urge Bush admin. to use military force shortly after 1/15 deadline if Iraq does not leave Kuwait [NYT 12/18].

After meeting with Algeria's Pres. Benjedid in Cairo on efforts to find Arab solution to Gulf crisis, Pres. Mubarak says "we have not yet found a way for a solution" [CDS 12/17 in FBIS 12/18; NYT 12/18]; Pres. Benjedid then travels to Libya, while Jordanian P.M. Mudar Badran goes to Syria in further diplomatic activity [APS, DDS 12/17 in FBIS 12/18; NYT 12/18].

Ishak Mousa Husseini, noted Palestinian writer and teacher who sought to explain Arab history to the West, dies in Jerusalem at age 86 [NYT 12/23; FJ 12/24].

Shmeul Goren, coordinator of gov't. activities in o.t., tells Knesset committee that Gulf crisis has cut in half annual aid of $140 million from Gulf Palestinians to o.t. Palestinians; that o.t. exports have been cut by 50%; and that citrus exports from Gaza have been reduced by 80% [IDF 12/17 in FBIS 12/20].

Senior Jordanian official says Amman has rejected proposal by Israel for bilateral negotiations on water and other territorial disputes, declaring Jordan would enter talks with Israel only in international peace conference on Middle East [MEM 12/18].

Israeli police bar thousands of Palestinians from entering Jerusalem and send hundreds of officers into the Old City to prevent clashes caused by heightened tensions [NYT, LAT, WT, WP, CSM 12/18; FJ 12/24; MET 12/25].

Jerusalem Post reports that the Jewish Agency about a month ago ordered all Agency and World Zionist Organization institutions to stop employing Palestinians from o.t. for "security considerations" [JPD 12/18 in FBIS 12/18; MEM 12/18]. 

Pres. Bush announces he is suspending 18-month U.S.-PLO dialogue because of PLO's failure to condemn 5/30 attempted raid on Israel. Bush says suspension was "not an easy call," and "though we are specific in calling for the condemnation of this particular terrorist attack, once that is done we can resume talks." [KUNA 6/20 in FBIS 6/21; NYT, WP, LAT, WT, MEM 6/21; ADS 6/21 in FBIS 6/21].

In Jerusalem, World Zionist Organization defeats resolution opposing settlement of Soviet Jews in O.T.; P.M. Shamir speaks to group before vote, warns that Arabs are trying to sabotage immigration with threats of war [LAT, WT 6/21]; Shamir also calls on USSR not to curtail immigration UDS 6/20 in FBIS 6/21].

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee meets with FBI officials to discuss unsolved 1985 assassination of Alex Odeh; ADC accuses Israel of sheltering the killers, urges U.S. pressure on Israel to solve case [WT 6/21].

Worsening economic conditions in Gaza have created new political extremism and rise in influence of Hamas, other Islamic groups [CSM 6/21]. 

World Zionist Organization exec. committee drafts resolution opposing settlement of Soviet Jews on occupied Palestinian land. The 165-member general council in Jerusalem is to vote on resolution on 6/20 (cf. 6/20) [WT 6/20].

Labor party's Central Bureau schedules meeting for next week to decide whether to call for party elections; an increasing number of Laborites are calling for Shimon Peres to be replaced as party leader by Yitzhak Rabin [NYT 6/20].

Israeli judge orders Israeli Arab poet Shafik Habib placed under house arrest on charges of incitement. Authorities say Habib's poems, written in Arabic, call for attacks on Israel with stones, firebombs and ammunition. Habib denies charges [WP, LAT 6/20].

Israel's National Planning Board votes not to approve VOA transmitter scheduled to be built in the Negev. Board shelves project until 2-year environmental study can be completed; agreement to build transmitter was signed in 1988 [NYT, WP 6/21].