Occupied Palestine/Israel: Estimated 50,000 attend Gush Emunim demonstration calling for death penalty for Palestinians who commit guerrilla operations against...
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Al-Quds reports Jordanian gov't. program to give allowances to unemployed university graduates in West Bank. Before several...
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Major Haddad, in testimony before Commission of Inquiry, denies his militiamen were involved in massacre, says three militiamen caught in...
IDF warplanes buzz Beirut in a mock air raid, first Air Force activity over Beirut in 2 weeks as Lebanese Cabinet calls for withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanese...
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Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Estimated 50,000 attend Gush Emunim demonstration calling for death penalty for Palestinians who commit guerrilla operations against Israelis [FJ 6/21]. Israeli government says it's willing to consider request from U.S. government to free Shi'ite prisoners held in Israel to end TWA hijack crisis; will not act independently [WP 6/17]. Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports 6,000 Israelis settled in West Bank, 1,600 in Golan Heights and Galilee in 1984.
Military Action
Arab World: TWA hijackers release 3 more passengers, plane takes off for Beirut [NYT 6/171. Aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz sent to Lebanese coast [WP 6/17]; anti-terrorist Delta Force squad sent to carrier U.S.S. Enterprise in Eastern Mediterranean [LT 6/17], but U.S. reluctant to use military force to end hostage crisis [WP 6/17].
Social/Economic/Political:
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Al-Quds reports Jordanian gov't. program to give allowances to unemployed university graduates in West Bank. Before several hundred Jewish settlers and Gush Emunim supporters demonstrating solidarity with Jewish terror underground suspects, Dep. Speaker of Knesset Cohen-Avidov says "We have to tear out the eye and guts of the Arabs."
Arab World: 190-ft. tunnel from Israel-occupied Rafah to Egyptian Sinai discovered, suspected for use by smugglers.
Other Countries: In light of conviction of possessing bombs in New York and connections with anti-Arab terrorism, Meir Kahane refused entry into Canada. Japan rebuffs Arab League delegation proposal that Tokyo pressure Iran out of war by reducing its Irani oil purchases.
Military Action:
Syrian forces fire on IDF tractor and APC in Bekaa Valley.
Casualties:
Suspect in assassination of Bashir Gemayel handed over to Lebanese judicial authorities by Phalange militiamen holding him since September; IDF separates Lebanese and Palestinian detainees at Ansar detention camp.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Government reportedly plans to move thousands of residents out of West Bank refugee camps, will offer them grants to build homes on land placed at their disposal by government, seeks financial support for plan from other governments and from international Zionist organizations; 2 women in Galilee village of Arraba arrested on security charges; British Ambassador in Israel summoned to Foreign Ministry for severe condemnation of recent British statements on Middle East and meeting between Foreign Office Minister and PLO official in Tunis; 350 dunums of land seized at Umar, West Bank village near Gush Emunim settlement of Migdal Oz; West Bank Union of Chambers of Commerce defies High Court decision, will not collect value added tax.
US and Other Countries: After 4-hour meeting with Mubarak, Shultz says US and Egypt hold identical views on withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon; State Dept. official says Israel and Lebanon have agreed on 95% of a withdrawal plan, Haddad's role is main obstacle; 3,000 attend memorial service in Washington for Americans killed in Beirut Embassy, at least 7 CIA employees reportedly among those killed in the explosion.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Major Haddad, in testimony before Commission of Inquiry, denies his militiamen were involved in massacre, says three militiamen caught in fight involving IDF and Druze forces near Beirut at time were far from camps and in Beirut on private visit, says on Friday, September 17, he flew to Beirut on IDF aircraft to offer condolences to Gemayel family, visited Jounieh, then returned by car to Marjayoun, accuses Saeb Salam of covering up for Phalangists on orders from Saudi Arabia by blaming Haddad forces; Foreign Ministry official Hana Bar-On testifies he relayed US official's report on "irregularities" in Beirut camps to Begin's military secretary, Colonal Azriel Nevo, Friday evening, September 17; political storm rages over New York Times opinion piece that implies Labor Party leaders want US to reduce aid to Israel as means to pressure Begin but Peres denies Labor Party supports cut in US aid; two leaders of Gush Emunim settlement of Qiryat Arba charged with destroying possible clues to unsolved bombings that crippled two Palestinian Mayors in 1980, trial is set for December 9; 25,000 Israeli settlers now estimated living in occupied territories, is twice as many as in 1980, five times as many as in 1977; Knesset finance committee defers decision on funding 9 new settlements (Labor Party criticizes 8 planned for West Bank, and IDF outposts in territories being turned over to right-wing Kach).
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Walid Jumblatt, in interview, accuses Phalange of planning massacres of Druze and says talks are useless; Phalange spokesman Hayek denies charge, says Phalange militiamen only seeking to return to their former villages in Chouf.
Arab Governments: King Hussein, ending Arab League delegation visit to France, accuses Israel of holding up peace process through continued West Bank settlements, refusal to consider Reagan peace proposals, says question of Israel's eventual borders remains major obstacle to peace; Syrian President Assad tells visiting US Congressional delegation that Reagan plan is "incomplete" solution.
US and Other Countries: Habib leaves several days early for Mideast in wake of cancellation of Begin-Reagan meeting, as State Department expresses concern at lack of progress on troop withdrawals; Shultz meets with Habib, Veliotes, Fairbanks, M. Charles Hill and Samuel W. Lewis to review lack of progress on peace plan; Britain announces Arab League mission planned to arrive next week has been postponed to December, and it will continue to refuse inclusion of PLO representative in delegation; West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, in New York, tells US Jewish leaders he intends to strengthen West German relations with Israel, and supports Camp David process.
Military Action:
Syrians and IDF exchange fire near Kfar Kuk; cease-fire holds in Chouf.
Casualties:
Several thousand residents of shanty towns protest last night's killings (Army keeps tanks and troop carriers nearby but halts razings; Amal says Gemayel broke promise not to raze buildings until other housing found); 1 IDF wounded near Kfar Kuk.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Gush Emunim announces plans to double Jewish population of West Bank and Gaza this year.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO official Sartawi addresses World Jewish Congress memorial for Nahum Goldmann at personal invitation of Goldmann's widow (Israeli Embassy officials reportedly embarrassed).
Arab Governments: Egyptian Minister of State Ghali says Arabs should recognize Israel, calls for mutual PLO-Israeli recognition; Jordan, in talks with Arafat, urges PLO recognition of Israel; authoritative Syrian paper opposes PLO-Jordan link, denounces Arafat and Hussein for discussing it.
US and Other Countries: US Administration refuses to receive PLO member as part of Arab delegation; Shultz says US will pull out of UN and cut off financial aid if Israel expelled; US announces withholding $8.5 million in response to International Atomic Energy Agency expelling Israel last month.
Militrary Action:
IDF warplanes buzz Beirut in a mock air raid, first Air Force activity over Beirut in 2 weeks as Lebanese Cabinet calls for withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanese territory; although shooting broke out between IDF and PLO soldiers manning checkpoints at the port about 300 yards from each other, cease-fire generally holds.
Casualties:
Hundreds of W. Beirut residents flee, fearing new outbreak of fighting; UN officials say IDF units daily patrol villages regarded as hostile; all mention of interrogation or detention of Palestinians censored from dispatches from Israel; electricity restored to many parts of Tyre for first time since war broke out; Canadian surgeon tells Congressional committee he saw Palestinian prisoners beaten to death; mayor of Sidon claims most arrests "arbitrary," involving innocent people.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Mayor Hijazi of Dir Dibwan on the West Bank is dismissed from his post making eighth such dismissal since March for staging a municipal work slowdown; officials indicate IDF goal is to eliminate all Palestinian refugee camps within 25-mile buffer zone along Israeli border; top aide to Meridor, Gravinsky, says Israeli government opposed to providing even temporary housing for Palestinians who lost their homes in the fighting, fearing they will become the nuclei of new camps; leaders of Nablus refugee camps write UNRWA of willingness to adopt orphans from Lebanese war; faction of Gush Emunim Amnah sets up new settlement near Hebron; Sharon extends state of alert in Israel for another week; Tehiya Party votes to join Likud coalition (strengthening proinvasion forces in Likud).
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Cabinet calls for withdrawal of all foreign troops and assistance of a multinational force to oversee the evacuation of the PLO guerrillas, also asks Israel to comply with UN resolution and withdraw its invasion force; Hani al-Hassan praises Shultz statement referring to legitimate needs of the Palestinian people; Arafat reportedly tells Syria the PLO would like to move to Syria if an evacuation agreement can be reached.
Arab Governments: King Hussein calls for urgent meeting of Arab leaders to discuss Lebanon, Iran/Iraq wars.
US and Other Countries: Shultz, in second day of Senate nomination hearings, refers to legitimate needs and problems of the Palestinian people; Reagan, in meeting with Congres-sional leaders, says key condition for sending US troops is official request by Lebanon to do so; 4 British MPs visit W. Beirut; Reagan letter to King Fahd urges Saudis to help find haven for PLO.
