The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian surveyor in Kafr Qalil, causing injuries to his head. Israeli settlers with military escort made roadblocks around Sabastia. Israeli forces arrested and assaulted 1 80-year-old Palestinian American man in Jiljilyya during a late-night raid, leading to his death; the man was found dead by Palestinians in an empty house in Jiljilyya after being arrested by the Israeli forces; the U.S. called for an investigation into his death. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work notices for 2 houses and for work on the electric grid in Bayt Dajan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 house, 2 water wells and 2 agricultural structures in al-Fakhit. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian journalist with a rubber-coated bullet during a raid in Beitunia. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Halhul, Hebron, Asira ash-Shamaliya, and Silat al-Harithiya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities delivered a demolition notice for a mosque in Isawiya and demolished 2 retaining walls in al-Walaja. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 6 nautical miles off the coast; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 5 Palestinians were arrested for burning tires in Tel as-Sabi in protest over the Jewish National Fund’s forestation project on land Bedouins use for agriculture. Radical Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir was among the people planting trees on the Bedouins’ land. (ALM, ALM, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, TOI, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 1/12; AJ, AP, MDW, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/13; HA 1/14; HA, WAFA 1/15; WAFA 1/16; NYT 1/20)

British consul general in Jerusalem Diane Corner met with Palestinians threatened by eviction in Sheikh Jarrah. (WAFA 1/13)

Haaretz reported that U.S. military personal charged with training Palestinian forces were given a tour of Hebron, including of al-Ibrahimi Mosque by settler advocate Noam Arnon. The tour was arranged by the Israeli military’s central command leader Yahuda Fuchs. (HA 1/12)

The Israeli supreme court reduced the sentence handed to an Israeli settler who had thrown a stun grenade at a Palestinian home in Sarta from 20 months to 12 months, reinstating a plea agreement a lower court had deemed too lenient. (HA 1/12; MEMO 1/13)

The United Arab List (UAL) boycotted sessions in the Knesset today in protest over a Jewish National Fund (JNF) forestation project in Bedouin-inhabited areas of the Naqab desert. In wake of the UAL boycott, the Israeli opposition passed 5 bills in preliminary votes. Labor minister Meir Cohen and UAL leader Mansour Abbas later came to an agreement that future work by the JNF must be negotiated by the coalition partners. (AP, HA, REU 1/12; ALM, HA, HA, HA 1/13)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: At Hebron University, police use tear gas and live ammunition to disperse student demonstration marking 5th anniversary of Sabra and Shatila massacres. Demonstrators in Ramallah, al-Birah, and Gaza burn tires, construct barricades, and force stores to close [LAT, FJ 9/20]. Birzeit University administration voluntarily closes university following student demonstrations [FJ 9/20]. Police disperse demonstrators protesting detention of Faysal Husayni, arrest Ishaq al-Budayri, assistant director of Arab Studies Society [FJ 9/20]. Arsonists set fire to 25 dunams of Jewish National Fund forest near Jenin UPI 9/26]. At al-Najah U., Islamic Bloc says it will not accept new university rules governing campus mosque, religious celebrations. Other student groups accept new regulations [FJ 9/20]. Walid Zurba of Jerusalem wins court order preventing Israeli developer from buying rooms in his house [FJ 9/20]. Israeli Ministry of Trade renounces measures adopted by inner cabinet to sever some economic and cultural ties with S. Africa [WP 9/20].

Other Countries: Fawwaz Yunis, Lebanese Shi'i, pleads not guilty in U.S. court to charges related to June 1985 hijacking of Jordanian plane. Attorney Gen. Edwin Meese announces Yunis was captured 9/13 after being lured onto FBI-rented yacht in Mediterranean [WP 9/18; NYT 9/19].