The Palestine Chronology

Multilateral talks end in Moscow. Participants establish five working groups to discuss various topics in April and May in several venues. Groups and venues are: economic development, in Belgium; environment, in Japan; arms control and security, in Washington; refugees, in Canada; water resources, in either Turkey or Austria. Palestinian delegates send request to U.S., Russia, to create additional working groups on Jerusalem and human rights. (MM 1/29)

Secy. of State Baker meets with Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi, tells them U.S. and Russia will support expanded Palestinian participation in working groups in which Palestinians have a clear and important interest. (WP 1/30)

India, Israel announce establishment of diplomatic relations. (NYT 1/30)

Amnesty International issues report documenting Israeli torture practices in o.t. to UN Commission of Human Rights in Geneva. (MM 1/30)

Labor, Likud negotiators agree to hold elections 6/23; decision is subject to final approval but appears certain. Decision comes after three parties recently resigned from government, depriving it of a parliamentary majority. (IDF Radio 1/29 in FBIS 1/30)

Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek suggests Jerusalem could be divided into boroughs to accommodate Palestinian desire for increased self-rule. However, Kollek stresses that such a plan would not provide for full autonomy. (MM 1/30)

German navy intercepts German ship transporting 16 Czech-made, Soviet-designed T-72 tanks to Syria near Strait of Gibraltar, forces it to return to Germany, where investigation will be launched to determine whether or not German laws governing shipment of military materiel were violated. Syria and Czechoslovakia finalized deal involving 320 tanks in September 1991; U.S. and Israel later pressured Czechoslovakia to cancel the deal, but it refused. (WP, MM 1/31)

New York judge sentences Egyptian-born al-Sayyid Nusayr to 7 1/2 to 22 years in prison. Nusayr was acquitted 12/21 of murdering Rabbi Meir Kahane in New York, but convicted of several lesser charges. (WP 1/30)

PM Shamir chairs ministerial meeting to discuss formation of Jewish "civil guard" in o.t. (ITV 12/25 in FBIS 12/26)

Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek leads demonstration against settlers who moved into contested homes in Silwan. (MM 1/2)

Shiite cleric Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah addresses Beirut conference on intifada. Representatives from Fateh-Revolutionary Council [Abu Nidal], PFLP, Iranian Revolutionary Guards also speak. (Voice of Oppressed 12/26 in FBIS 12/27)

GCC ends summit, reaffirms commitment to "Damascus Declaration." Meeting also issues "Kuwait Declaration" supporting peace talks based on UN Sec. Council resolutions 242, 338, 425, affirming GCC support of multilateral talks with Israel. (MM 1/2)

Israel, Zambia renew diplomatic ties broken since 1973. (Qol Yisra'el 12/25 in FBIS 12/31)

Beset by challenges from within Conservative party, British P.M. Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation [NYT, LAT, WP 11/23; CSM 11/26].

Pres. Bush visits U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, says they may have to face "some pain now to avoid even worse pain later," then flies to Cairo [NYT, LAT, WP 11/23; MET 12/4].

D.M. Tom King says Britain will send 14,000 more troops and additional tanks, aircraft, and ships to the Gulf by the end of the year, bringing total number of British troops there to more than 30,000 [NYT, LAT, MEM 11/23].

Visiting Sanaa, Yemen, Sec. Baker is rebuffed in efforts to persuade Yemen, only Arab country on UN Sec. Council, to support resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq. Pres. Saleh criticizes buildup of foreign forces in Gulf [SDS 11/22 in FBIS 11/23; SDS 11/23 in FBIS 11/26; NYT, LAT, WP, MEM 11/23]; Baker then flies to Jeddah [SPA 11/22 in FBIS 11/23].

PLO leader Yasir Arafat arrives in Baghdad, says he strongly supports Saddam Hussein's assertions that Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait must be tied to overall settlement of conflicts in region; adds there is no alternative to negotiations between Iraq and U.S. [BVP 11/22 in FBIS 11/27; NYT 11/26].

D.M. Moshe Arens instructs IDF to expand enlistment of Bedouins into its ranks [MAA 11/23 in FBIS 11/23].

Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek and E. Jerusalem Arabs praise Jerusalem district planning committee's decision to build 7,500 new apartments for Palestinians northwards from French Hill junction towards Ramallah [JPD 11/23 in FBIS 11/23; MEM 11/23; JPI 12/1].

Kuwaiti gov't.-in-exile extends $550 million medium-term loan to the Soviet Union on favorable terms; "observers" point to "political aspect" of loan [MEM 11/23]. 

Soviet Union and Israel sign agreement on scientific cooperation and exchanges of scientific information [TASS 11/22 in FBIS 11/28].