3-days of elections talks close in Cairo. Sides agree PA will be in charge of maintaining security during elections, joint patrols will be used. PM Rabin says Palestinians fr. Jerusalem will not...
Current round of Israel-PLO talks in Taba ends, both sides reporting progress. PM Rabin says talks held in a "good atmosphere." Security comm. divides into subcomms. on police, prisoners. PLO...
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3-days of elections talks close in Cairo. Sides agree PA will be in charge of maintaining security during elections, joint patrols will be used. PM Rabin says Palestinians fr. Jerusalem will not be allowed to run; Israel, not the PA, will carry out population census using 5,000 Palestinian teachers (see 4/28). A tripartite (EU, Israel, PA) comm. will be set up to discuss international monitors during elections. (AFP, IDF Radio, MENA, VOP 5/16, MENA 5/17 in FBIS 5/17; AFP, MENA, QY, VOP 5/17 in FBIS 5/18; PR 5/21)
2-day multilateral steering comm. mtgs on peace process open in Montreux, Switzerland. Syria, Lebanon boycott. Working groups on water, arms control, refugees, economic development, environment meet. (HA, QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/18)
For 1st time since 1990, U.S. vetoes UN resolution criticizing Israel. U.S. Amb. Madeline Albright calls veto "a matter of principle." Last-minute Russian proposal for UNSC presidential letter reproving Israel is rejected by U.S. as too strong, by PLO as too weak. Resolution would have invalidated Israel's 4/27 seizure of 134 acres of Arab-owed land in East Jerusalem. (MENA, VOP 5/17, MENA, QY, VOP 5/18 in FBIS 5/18; MM, NYT, WT 5/18; AFP, ITV, MENA, RE, RMC, VOP 5/18, MENA, VOP 5/19 in FBIS 5/19; MM, WT 5/19; MEI 6/9, 6/26) (see Doc. D7 in JPS 96)
PM Rabin says Israel would not object to having Syria deploy an early warning station on Israeli territory if Israel can maintain an equivalent system on Syrian soil. (MM 5/17)
60 of 80 mbrs. of the Jordanian parliament, incl. deputies who had approved the Jordan-Israel treaty, ask the government to freeze or cancel the treaty, recall Jordan's amb. to Israel, expel the Israeli amb. in protest over Israel's land confiscations. (MM 5/18; QY, RJ, SARR 5/18 in FBIS 5/18; SA 5/19 in FBIS 5/23; JP 5/27)
In Rabat, Arab League Secy. Gen. Ismat `Abd al-Majid talks with King Hassan on holding summit to discuss Israeli confiscations of Palestinian land in Jerusalem, leaves for Cairo to confer with Pres. Husni Mubarak. Mubarak, Syria's Pres. Hafiz al-Asad discuss plans by phone. (MKR, RE 5/18, RE 5/19 in FBIS 5/19; RMC 5/19, AFP, RMC 5/21 in FBIS 5/22)
PA police raid 5 Gaza mosques in search of "inflammatory material," tear pro-Hamas placards off walls; issue order banning "provocative actions in mosques." (QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/17)
MK `Abd al-Wahhab Darawshah, head of Israel's Arab Democratic Party (ADP), says Arafat has urged him to withdraw ADP's no confidence motion over the Jerusalem land confiscation. Arafat's office denies it, saying PA does not interfere in Israeli domestic affairs. (QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/17; QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/18) (see 5/15)
1 IDF soldier, 1 Hizballah mbr. are killed, 7 Hizballah mbrs, 3 IDF soldiers, 1 SLA mbr. are wounded in 2 clashes in s. Lebanon. (MM 5/17; CSM, MM 5/18; JP 5/27; MEI 6/9)
Current round of Israel-PLO talks in Taba ends, both sides reporting progress. PM Rabin says talks held in a "good atmosphere." Security comm. divides into subcomms. on police, prisoners. PLO negotiator Nabil Shaath says draft agreement on Palestinian police force reached. (MENA, IDF Radio 2/17 in FBIS 2/18; MM 2/17)
During 2d day of bilateral Arab-Israeli talks in Washington, Israeli negotiators Uri Lubrani, Itamar Rabinovich complain to Lebanese delegate Suhail Shammas, Syrian amb. Muwaffaq al-Allaf over 2/16 katyusha incident. Meanwhile, Lebanese Pres. al-Hirawi, Syrian Pres. al-Asad meet in Damascus to discuss tensions in southern Lebanon. (Qol Yisra'el 2/17 in FBIS 2/17; MM 2/17; SARR 2/17 in FBIS 2/18)
Israel-Jordan-U.S. economic talks in Washington end, Jordanian side expressing reluctance to pursue joint projects with Israel until Israel-Syrian talks achieve progress, Israeli-Jordanian disputes over refugees, water, Arava region resolved. (Qol Yisra'el 2/18 in FBIS 2/18).
Israeli PM Rabin blames 2/16 katyusha attack on "Black September 13" group, notes "our understandings with Syria regarding Hizballah remain in effect." (Qol Yisra'el 2/17 in FBIS 2/18; MM 2/18)
Anwar Rashid Tahir Qtait, 24, killed by IDF at checkpoint in Saris [Misilyah??] village, nr. Janin in West Bank, when he makes a "threatening gesture." In Halhul, IDF shoots and seriously wounds at least 4 Palestinians protesting 2/16 killing of Najwan al-`Izza. (MM 2/17; IDF Radio 2/17 in FBIS 2/17)
Israeli Yuval Golan, stabbed in Hebron 12/29/93 by Palestinian, dies of wounds, becoming 201st Israeli killed by Palestinians during intifada according to AFP figures. 1,179 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire in same period. (AFP 2/17 in FBIS 2/18)
Hamas's `Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigade issues statement offering "protection and weapons" to Palestinian collaborators who kill their Shin Bet control officers. (AFP 2/17 in FBIS 2/18)
MK `Abd al-Wahab Darawsha (Arab Democratic party) announces Syrian govt. has allowed him to visit Damascus at head of 31-mbr. delegation to pay condolences on death of Basil al-Asad. Visit will be 1st official trip by Israeli Arab allowed by Syria. PM Rabin calls trip a "positive step." (MM, WP 2/18; WT 2/19; NYT 2/20)
Congolese Int. M Martin Mberri confirms Brazzaville has signed $50 m. contract with Israeli company for training, equipping Congolese army. Officials say 40 Israelis training presidential guard unit, 20 more to come. Mberri says France will train regular army and police. Congo armed forces fighting guerrillas loyal to frmr. dictator Denis Sassou-Nguesso for 8 mos. (WP 2/18)