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)

UNLU leaflet promises that intifada leadership will punish those Palestinians who carry out executions of suspected collabora- tors [NYT 1/1].

Bomb prematurely explodes in West Jerusalem, killing Palestinian who is apparently handling the explosives [JDS 12/31 in FBIS 12/31; NYT, LAT, WT 1/1].

Iraq orders 17-year-olds to report for military duty [BVM 12/31 in FBIS 12/31; LAT 1/1].

Secret meeting takes place in Jerusalem between Major Teddy Kollek and Palestinian activist leader Faisal Husseini. They hold cordial discussion on topics including status of Jerusalem on condition that meeting not be made public immediately (cf. 1/4) [LAT 1/5].

Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics releases year-end figures: economic activity in o.t. has declined sharply; population of Israel rose to 4.8 million [JDS, HAA 1/1 in FBIS 1/3; MEM 1/2].

Economic and Planning Minister David Magen tells Knesset committee that by March 1991, Jews will be a demographic majority in Galilee; Magen announces establishment of Galilee Development Authority [HAA 1/1 in FBIS 1/4].

UNLU issues call no. 66 "denounc[ing] the imperialist role and the hostile policy of the U.S.," and calling on Egypt and Syria to withdraw their forces from Saudi Arabia [BVP 1/2 in FBIS 1/15].

In 21st and deadliest air attack in Lebanon this year, Israeli fighter-bombers kill 12 Fateh militiamen in predawn raid south of Sidon [JAA 12/31 in FBIS 12/31; NYT, WT 1/1].