The Palestine Chronology

Arafat says final status talks with Israel are deadlocked, accuses Israel of using talks as a cover for settlement expansion, urges U.S. intervention. (WP, WT 12/4) (see 12/2)

In Nablus, 100s of Palestinians rally in support of PC mbr. Masri, who was wounded by masked gunmen on 12/1. (WP 12/4; WJW 12/9)

Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops clash with 200 Palestinians demonstrating against Israeli settlement expansion, leaving 4 injured. (NYT 12/4)

Israel submits to Jordan a proposal that would allow direct ("door-to-door") transportation of goods fr. Jordan to the West Bank as of mid-1/00. (JT [Internet] 12/4)

In Irbid, 100s of Jordanians participate in a rally organized by the Islamic Action Front to urge the government to reconsider its deportation of 4 Hamas leaders on 11/21. (JT 12/4 in WNC 12/6) (see 11/26)

Several high-ranking Iranian clerics traveling to Washington on special State Dept. visas to participate in a Georgetown seminar are halted by U.S. customs officials in New York, who fingerprint, photograph, and subject them to racist insults. The delegation returns to Iran in protest. The State Dept. says only that mistakes were made. (WT 12/4) (see 11/22)

As the Knesset begins debate on ratification of the 10/23 Wye River Memorandum, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu suspends the agmt.'s implementation, saying he will not carry out the 1st of 3 stages of further redeployment (FRD) required by Wye until PA head Yasir Arafat retracts his 11/15 threat to stage an uprising against Israel if Palestinian access to Jerusalem is blocked. (MM 11/16; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 11/17; WJW 11/19)

U.S. special envoy Dennis Ross meets with Arafat in Jericho. (ITV 11/16 in WNC 11/18; WT 11/17)

In Cairo, Netanyahu political adviser Uzi Arad discusses Wye agmt. with Egyptian FM `Amr Musa, who criticizes Israeli implementation delays. (MENA 11/16 in WNC 11/17, WNC 11/18)

In Gaza, Israel, Jordan, the U.S. meet to discuss the Irbid industrial zone project. (Petra-JNA 11/17 in WNC 11/19; JT 11/23 in WNC 11/24; Petra-JNA 11/23 in WNC 11/30)

In Cairo, Russia, Egypt hold high-level experts mtg. on defense cooperation. Russian DM hopes deepening military ties "will become an important factor of peace and stability in the Middle East." (Interfax, ITAR-TASS, MENA 11/16 in WNC 11/17; MENA 11/17 in WNC 11/18)

After 3 days of talks, Oman, Iran reach military cooperation agmt. to enhance Gulf security, which will include joint exercises. (IRNA 11/16 in WNC 11/17)

PM Netanyahu announces creation of Birthright Israel program, which will pay for any Jew aged 15+n26 to visit Israel in hopes of rebuilding Jewish identity of youth, who more frequently marry non-Jews, are nonpracticing. The program, expected to cost $300 m., will be funded by the Israeli government, major North American Jewish donors, the Council of Jewish Federations. (NYT 11/16; WJW 11/19, 11/26, 1/7)

Citing Israeli FM Ariel Sharon's 11/15 call for settlers to "grab" disputed West Bank land, 30 settlers fr. Keddumim set up "presettlement" on nearby hilltop. (MM 11/17; MA 11/17 in WNC 11/18; WT 11/19)

Palestinians in al-Khader protest confiscation of land for bypass road. (CSM 11/17)

Israel Defense Force (IDF) convoy triggers roadside bomb in s. Lebanon, killing 3 soldiers, wounding 4. Hizballah claims responsibility. (AFP, ITV, RL 11/16 in WNC 11/17; MM, WP 11/17; WT 11/18; MEI 11/27; JP 11/30)