The Palestine Chronology

3-day UN 50th anniversary celebration begins in New York. Over 130 world leaders, incl. Arafat, PM Rabin, King Hussein, Pres. Mubarak attend. On sidelines, Arafat meets with King Hussein, Pres. Mubarak, Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan Bin `Abd al-`Aziz. PM Rabin meets with King Hussein. (NYT, WP 10/22; JTV, VOP 10/22 in FBIS 10/25; NYT, WP 10/23; MM 10/24; WJW 10/26)

Israeli Industry and Trade M Mikha Harish says he will encourage the business sector to significantly increase imports fr. the U.S. while cutting back on imports fr. the EU because of the large trade deficit Israel has with the EU. EC representative to Israel Albert Maes accuses Israel of "applying a discriminatory economic policy that harms the trade agmt. with Europe." (MA 10/22 in FBIS 10/23) (see 7/5)

Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) says it will participate in January elections. (VOP 10/22 in FBIS 10/23)

IDF shells Hizballah positions in s. Lebanon, killing 1 Lebanese boy. (CSM 10/23)

PLO Central Council opens meeting in Tunis to debate approval of PLO-Israel DoP. PFLP and DFLP (Hawatmah faction) boycott meeting, as do PPSF and PLF. (SARR 10/10 in FBIS 10/13; WP 10/11)

Israeli PM Rabin departs for China, says he will stick by agreement with PLO despite upsurge in violence. (NYT 10/11)

Israel offers to allow back 10 Palestinians mistakenly deported. The 10 say they would like to return immediately, but that the only crossing point has been mined by Israel. Israel offers to allow an intl. org. to escort them back through 1 of 3 Lebanese-controlled crossing points. (NYT 1/1; Qol Yisra'el 12/31 in FBIS 12/31, 1/4)

Lebanon rejects 12/30 French proposal to place the deported Palestinians under the provisional care of UNIFIL in Lebanese-controlled territory. PM Rafiq al-Hariri meets with Russian then U.S. amb. to Lebanon. (NYT 12/31; VOL 12/31 in FBIS 1/4)

Al-Quds reports that the Palestinian delegation to peace talks has unanimously rejected PM Rabin's 12/27 invitation to an informal meeting. (al-Quds 12/31 in FBIS 1/5)

Four Palestinian factions (PFLP, DFLP-Hawatima faction, PPSF, PLF) issue statement criticizing Palestinian leadership's 12/27 statement for its lack of a plan of political action to counter the 12/17 deportations. (QPAR 1/2 in FBIS 1/4)

PLO advisor and Palestinian delegation steering comm. head Nabil Shaath says the deportations and the peace process are "two battles which have to be led separately," and the Palestinians may have to "bring it [the deportations] to the table of negotiations." (AFP 12/31 in FBIS 1/4)

Ha'Aretz reports that the o.t. security service Shin Bet initially gave PM Rabin a list of 6 Hamas leaders to be deported, and came up with 1 more name when asked to expand the list. Shin Bet was later surprised at the scope of expulsions the IDF was then ordered to carry out. (WP 1/1; Ha'Aretz 12/31 in FBIS 1/4)

PM Rabin implies Israel is willing to return part of the Golan Heights to Syria, expresses tacit acceptance of "land-for-peace" regarding Golan in speech to Knesset. (NYT 9/10)

PFLP, PLF, DFLP (Nayif Hawatima wing), and Palestinian Popular Struggle Front reiterate 9/5 rejection of Palestinian autonomy plan in Damascus. (RMC 9/10 in FBIS 9/10)

Israeli undercover forces open fire on group of Palestinians near Janin, kill masked youth reading nationalist statement over a loudspeaker. (MM 9/9)

Gulf Cooperation Council ends 2-day meeting in Jidda, issues final statement strongly condemning Iranian claim of sovereignty over island of Abu Musa, which is UAE property. Statement also criticizes Iraq, offering tacit support of Western imposed "no-fly zone." The 6 GCC members then meet in Doha, Qatar, with FMs from Egypt and Syria to discuss their March 1991 Damascus Declaration. Egypt is taking the lead in calling for an Arab joint military command and rapid deployment force for the Gulf war coalition members. (MM 9/9; SPA 9/9 in FBIS 9/10)