Sunday, August 16, 1998

Arafat appoints PC comm. to study file of each political prisoner held in PA jails, recommend which prisoners should be released. (MEI 2/26)

Labor holds party primaries. By common consent, Barak is given slot for PM candidate, fmr. PM Shimon Peres is given 2d slot. Top vote getters are Shlomo Ben-Ami, a Sephardim; Yossi Beilin, an architect of the Oslo agreements; fmr. Dep. Cheif of Staff Matan Vilnai, and Avraham Burg, chmn. of the Jewish Agency. (MM, WT 2/16)

Belgium, Israel, the PA sign accord on trilateral health sector project under which Israeli professionals will train Palestinian professionals in applied epidemiology. (La Libre Belgique 2/16 in WNC 2/18)

DFLP leader Hawatmah is thrown out of the Damascus-based coalition of Palestinian rejectionist groups for shaking hands with Israeli pres. Weizman at King Hussein's funeral 2/8. (NYT, WP 2/16)

In Nablus 3,500 Fatah supporters hold rally to mark Fatah's 24th anniversary. (AFP [Internet] 2/15)

IDF demolishes 3 Palestinian homes under construction in nr. Nablus, bring to 21 the number of homes demolished since the Wye agmt. was signed 10/23. (MEI 2/26)

2 Lebanese civilians are wounded by IDF shelling in s. Lebanon. (RL 2/16 in WNC 2/17)