The Palestine Chronology

Secy. of State Christopher begins mission to revive Arab-Israeli talks with meeting in Alexandria with Egyptian Pres. Mubarak, stating "the situation in Lebanon, perhaps paradoxically, has given a new burst of energy to the negotiations." (NYT 8/3)

PLO Chm. Arafat meets Egyptian Pres. Mubarak after latter's talks with Secy. of State Christopher. (MENA 8/2 in FBIS 8/3)

Palestinian hijacks UNRWA bus in Gaza Strip, killing Israeli civilian employee of military government. (NYT 8/3)

Poll of Palestinians in o.t. conducted by Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre in conjunction with CNN and Dutch TV finds 51.7% oppose Palestinian-Jordanian confederation, 55.9% oppose continuation of peace talks on the Madrid formula, 50.1% support Palestinian withdrawal from talks, 87.7% believe PLO needs democratic reform, 32.9% support dividing Jerusalem, and 50.9% trust leadership of "national movements," as against 24.1% for "Islamic movements." Poll has margin of error of +3%, confidence level of 95%. (JMCC poll) Responding in part to complaints by Palestinian members of the Orthodox Church that the Patriarchate has been passing land to the Israeli government, Ecumenical Council of Orthodox Churches decides to boycott Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoros I. (al-Fajr 8/16)

Lebanese govt. orders army to prepare for redeployment in south. UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghalinforms Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri of UN approval of move. (WP, WT 8/3)

Jerusalem's Greek Orthodox patriarch Diodorus I is overcome by tear gas as Israeli police disperse group of clergymen protesting Jewish nationals' occupation of church building in Old City's Christian quarter [WP, LAT, WT 4/13; JDS 4/12 in FBIS 4/13]; Jerusalem magistrate court issues evacuation order to settlers in church building [IDF 4/12 in FBIS 4/13].

PLO formally requests membership in World Health Organization. PLO made same request last year, was denied membership after U.S. delegation walked out in protest (cf. 4/23) [WP 4/13].

PLO rep. Hakam Balawi meets with U.S. ambassador Robert Pelletreau to discuss latest developments [TDS 4/13 in FBIS 4/18].

Arafat arrives in Czechoslovakia for state visit [NYT 4/13].

Military Action:

IDF jeeps and APCs come under RPG attack near Shuweifat; artillery, machine gun exchanges between Druze and Phalange in Aley, IDF rushes 50 APCs and tanks, 500 troops to area, imposes curfew and cuts traffic between Chouf villages; IDF forces withdraw from Yarze area housing Lebanese Army command and home of US Ambassador Dillon.

Casualties:

UNRWA begins distributing cement and stoves in Ain el-Hilweh; 1 attacker killed, 1 IDF soldier wounded in Shuweifat.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon tells Knesset committee Israel will withdraw to 40 miles above border only after PLO and Syria withdraw troops and Israeli prisoners are returned, but will stay there until Lebanon signs security agreement allowing direct IDF involvement in security arrangements; Shamir tells US Jewish leaders in Israel that multinational peacekeeping force is unnecessary for ensuring safety of South Lebanon; Jerusalem Post poll shows Sharon support dropping since massacre; Commission of Inquiry interviews Yiram Yair, IDF commander in area of camps during massacre, behind closed doors; Statistics Bureau puts price rise at 106 percent since start of year, and inflation rate may reach 138 percent by end of year; two week old memo revealed which ordered Israeli military governors to "neutralize to the maximum" pro-Jordanian elements among West Bank Arabs and to step up support for Village Leagues, in apparent attempt to block options for peace settlement involving Jordan; Likud MK Dror Zeigerman says government initiative in issuing memo would imply plan for ultimate annexation of occupied territories, and warns such a plan would turn the West Bank into "Israel's Viet Nam"; Peace Now issues statement condemning Civil Administrator for implementing "corrupt colonialist policies"; heads of Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches in Jerusalem threaten to close holy places over Christmas unless expulsion order against Armenian Deputy Patriarch Karanjian is rescinded, but Interior Ministry refuses to reveal basis for decision to not renew visa; Tehiya Party, at annual meeting, demands that Israel annex West Bank and Gaza; Nahal plans five outposts, three settlements in West Bank in coming year; Bethlehem University student council leader put under town arrest for six months.

US and Other Countries: French President Mitterrand, in Paris meeting, tells Arab League delegation headed by King Hussein that Arabs and PLO should recognize Israel; State Department issues unusually strong 2 page statement that Israel's deportation of teachers from West Bank universities (which are partly funded by US foreign aid) undermines peace negotiations.