Israel Aircraft Industries announces U.S. has formally commissioned Israel to begin work on second phase of joint U.S.-Israel project to develop the Arrow missile defense system, part of U.S....
Occupied Palestine/Israel: The director of the U.S. SDI program announces that Israel has been awarded over $165 million in SDI contracts, more than any foreign...
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Industry and Trade Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered strict labeling guidelines for all products made in the occupied territories, which...
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli Knesset passes, by vote of 60-0, law banning future election lists that advocate racism [FJ 8/9]. Clause proposed by Justice...
Read more
Israel Aircraft Industries announces U.S. has formally commissioned Israel to begin work on second phase of joint U.S.-Israel project to develop the Arrow missile defense system, part of U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars" [U.S. contributions to second stage will total $320 million]. (Qol Yisra'el 4/13 in FBIS 4/15)
FM Levy demands release of Israeli held in Egypt on charges of espionage [3 Arabs carrying Israeli citizenship are also being detained; see 3/10]. (IDF Radio 4/13 in FBIS 4/14)
Pres. Asad meets with representatives of Syrian Jewish community for first time since assuming power in 1970. Asad informs delegation that travel restrictions faced by Jews will be lifted. He also announces government will release 2 Jews currently imprisoned in Syria. (MM 5/1)
UN Sec.Council unanimously declares Iraq's annexation of Kuwait "null and void" [WP, NYT 8/10].
Arab leaders postpone Cairo summit for one day to reach solution to Iraqi delegate's refusal to participate in summit with Kuwaiti delegate, saying Kuwait is part of Iraq [CDS, MENA 8/9, BVL 8/10 in FBIS 8/10; LAT, WP, NYT 8/10].
Arafat meets in Baghdad with Saddam Hussein to discuss Gulf crisis [INA 8/9 in FBIS 8/10].
P.M. Shamir sends message to Pres. Bush in effort to upgrade U.S.-Israel contacts during Gulf crisis; Ma'ariv notes that Bush has not consulted with Shamir as he has with other leaders in the region [MAA 8/10 in FBIS 8/10].
Israel successfully test-launches Arrow missile designed to intercept incoming rockets; U.S. funds 80% of Arrow program as part of Washington's SDI initiative; Arrow will not be fully operational for 5 years [DS 8/9 in FBIS 8/13; LAT, NYT, WP, WT 8/10; JPI 8/18].
Palestinian injured on 8/7 dies; he was injured as Jewish mobs avenging deaths of 2 Israeli boys overturned his car [WP 8/10]. Amal movement reports its troops attacked Israeli positions in S.Lebanon, wounding 3 [BDS 8/9 in FBIS 8/13].
Social/Economic/Political
Arab World: Saudi King Fahd pledges to support Egypt's full return to Arab League [LAT 4/1].
Military Action
Occupied Palestine/lIsrael: Israel, United States agree to develop $35 million research center to work on S.D.I. [MET 4/11].
Arab World: Washington Post reports that Iraq is engaged in crash program to build atomic weapons and will test warhead within 2-5 years [WP 3/3 1]. In S. Lebanon PFLP, Lebanese resistance attacks Israeli positions; 2 guerrillas are killed [MET 4/ 11].
Other Countries: Nordic foreign ministers meet, issue statement on Middle East saying that they approve of PLO's recognition of Israel, acceptance of UN resolutions 242, 338 and they urge Israel not to interfere with function of UNIFIL [FJ 4/10].
Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: The director of the U.S. SDI program announces that Israel has been awarded over $165 million in SDI contracts, more than any foreign country [WP 10/25].
Arab World: The PLO reiterates statements by Chairman Arafat that Israeli Arabs and Jews should vote for "forces that represent the real peace choice" [NYT 10/ 25].
Military Action
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Reuters reports the existence of Israeli undercover "death squads" on W. Bank and Gaza Strip; military spokesman denies that Israel assassinates wanted men [WT 10/24]. In Far'ah refugee camp soldiers shoot, kill 17-yearold Palestinian [NYT 10/25, FJ 10/30]. In Nablus 3 Palestinians are shot, injured by Israeli soldiers. In Nusayrat camp 4 Palestinians are injured during clashes with troops. At Beach camp soldiers shoot, injure 2 Palestinians [FJ 10/30].
Arab World: Israeli warplanes strike Syrian Social Nationalist Party base in south Lebanon. One person is wounded [NYT, WP 10/25]. In south Lebanon Israeli troops capture 7 Palestinian guerrillas trying to cross the Lebanese-Israeli border [WP 10/ 25].
Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Industry and Trade Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered strict labeling guidelines for all products made in the occupied territories, which he claims "threaten Israeli firms with unfair competition" [JP 5/6]. Israeli police and Shin Bet arrest 5 more members of alleged underground Palestinan cell suspected of 2 murders, 2 attempted murders, bringing total arrested to 25 [JP 5/7]. Israel signs agreement to participate in U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative; Israel is the third to sign, after Britain and West Germany [LAT, WP 5/7]. Police Staff Sergeant-Major Yosef Oren is charged in police disciplinary court with beating a prisoner with electric cords to force him to confess to murder [JP 5/7]. Mattityahu Drobles, co-chairman of the World Zionist Organization's settlement department, vetoes proposal by his cochairman, Nissim Zvili, that 500 Palestinian refugee families replace the Israeli settlers in Kibbutz Netzarim instead of being settled at Tal Sultan; Gaza Strip settlers joined Drobles in dismissing the proposal [JP 5/7].
Arab World: Pres. Hafiz al-Asad ends 24- hour visit to Amman after talks with King Hussein aimed at improving relations between the 2 countries; no communique or joint statement is issued [NYT 5/7].
Other Countries: U.S. Senate rejects by vote of 73-22 the Reagan administration's request to sell $354 million worth of advanced arms to Saudi Arabia [NYT, WP 5/7]. Ahmad Nawaf Mansur, a Jordanian arrested in connection with the explosion at a West Berlin discotheque last month, has reportedly confessed to an earlier bombing in the city, saying it was organized by the Syrian embassy in East Berlin [NYT 5/7].
Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli Knesset passes, by vote of 60-0, law banning future election lists that advocate racism [FJ 8/9]. Clause proposed by Justice Minister Moshe Nissim bans election lists which reject the legitimacy of Israel as the "state of the Jewish people." Progressive List for Peace and the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Israeli Communist party) abstained in Knesset vote; PLP spokesman Kamil Dahir submits resignation in protest of abstention vote. Two Palestinians are found dead near car in West Bank village of Tubas, in what police say was apparently an accidental detonation of a car bomb [WP 7/31]. Palestinian sources speculate they may have been murdered [FJ 8/2]. U. S. Asst. Defense Sec. Richard Perle announces Israel agrees to participate in Strategic Defense Initiative research [BG 7/31]. Jane's Defence Weekly reports that Israel's clandestine arms sales to China have bolstered its international weapons trade to $1.2 billion annually [MJ 8/16].
Arab World: Jordanian and PLO officials say 2 Palestinians acceptable to Israel - Hanna Siniora and Fayez Abu Rahmeh - are intended only as "consultants" to joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation [WP 7/31]. Al-Fajr English newspaper reports sources in Tunis say PLO condemns new West Bank committee set up by local pro-Jordanian figures to lobby for joint Jordanian-Palestinian moves [FJ 8/2].
Military Action
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Albert Buchris, 32, from Afula, shot to death in Nablus market. Nablus and 2 nearby refugee camps put under curfew; residents are teargassed, house-to-house searches are conducted for the weapon used in the killing. Al-Najah University is closed [WP, LAT 7/31, JTA 8/1].
Arab World: Syria delivers 50 Soviet-made T-54 tanks to Amal in south Beirut [DT 7/31].
