U.S. State Dep't. abruptly postpones meeting of joint U.S.-Israeli Security Assistance Planning Committee, which coordinates U.S. military aid to Israel; speculation arises that delay is intended...
Responding to Gorbachev's 6/3 statement, Yitzhak Shamir defends right of Soviet Jews to live in O.T., saying democracy cannot limit where people live [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 6/5]; Palestinians and other...
Israeli soldiers thwart 2 boats off Tel Aviv coast carrying guerrillas of Palestine Liberation Front (PLF); 4 attackers are killed in firefight, 12 captured [WP, LAT, WT, NYT 5/31]; Israel calls...
U.S. State Dep't. releases annual report to Congress on global human rights; it sharply criticizes Israel's actions in O.T., finds fault with most Arab nations as well [WP 2/22]; Israel criticizes...
Israel has told Jordan it objects to any Jordanian-Iraqi military cooperation. Israeli military source expresses concern that "a military alliance . .. is being set up against us" (cf. 2/20) [HAD...
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Palestine Human Rights Information Center reports that at least 130 Palestinian houses have been partially or totally sealed in the...
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U.S. State Dep't. abruptly postpones meeting of joint U.S.-Israeli Security Assistance Planning Committee, which coordinates U.S. military aid to Israel; speculation arises that delay is intended to put pressure on Israel, despite U.S. statements to the contrary [JDS 7/20 in FBIS 7/20; WP 7/20].
Jordan accuses Israel of obstructing transit over Jordan River bridges, and reducing number of people allowed to enter O.T.; Jordanians say reduction violates agreed-upon quota [JDS 7/19 in FBIS 7/ 20].
Jewish Agency offices open in Warsaw for first time since World War II. Agency chrmn. Simha Dinitz meets with Polish P.M. Tadeusz Mazowiecki to discuss possible transport of Soviet Jews to Israel via Warsaw [HAA 7/20 in FBIS 7/20].
Egyptian newspaper editorials attack Arafat, Palestinians; attacks are occasioned by anti-Egypt remarks attributed to Arafat at Arab League meeting 7/15- 16 [MEM 7/24].
USSR reports that during first 6 months of 1990, 48,276 Soviet Jews have emigrated to Israel [MTS 7/19 in FBIS 7/20].
Responding to Gorbachev's 6/3 statement, Yitzhak Shamir defends right of Soviet Jews to live in O.T., saying democracy cannot limit where people live [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 6/5]; Palestinians and other Arab officials welcome Gorbachev's statement [KUNA 6/4 in FBIS 6/6; NYT 6/5].
U.S. officials say they would like U.S.-PLO dialogue to remain open, but would suspend it if Arafat does not discipline Abul Abbas or condemn 5/30 attempted attack on Israel, U.S. also threatens to veto Arab calls to move UN Gen.Assembly to Geneva to hear Arafat speak; at the same time, U.S. decides to give Arafat more time to acquiesce [NYT, WP, WT 6/5]. Threat of loss of U.S.-PLO dialogue is causing little distress among Palestinian leaders [CSM 6/5].
Explaining recent PLO shift in diplomatic focus from Egypt to Iraq, PLO Exec. Committee member Abdullah Jourani says "maybe [then] the Americans will try to understand us better. Maybe they will try to understand we are not ready to surrender" [WP 6/5].
PLO receives from Iraq $25 million in urgent aid to support intifada over and above regular monthly aid from Iraq [WAKH 6/3 in FBIS 6/4].
April 1988 survey by Israeli sociologist Sammy Smooha, released today, finds that majority of Jews in Israel "regard the Israeli Arabs as a hostile minority...and their attitudes and behaviors not as a legitimate dissent but rather as subversion"; 57% of respondents favored denying Israeli Arabs right to vote in national elections [FJ 6/11].
Third Soviet-Arab dialogue conference opens in Moscow; discussions involve Soviet Jewish emigration [TASS 6/ 4].
Israeli soldiers thwart 2 boats off Tel Aviv coast carrying guerrillas of Palestine Liberation Front (PLF); 4 attackers are killed in firefight, 12 captured [WP, LAT, WT, NYT 5/31]; Israel calls on U.S. to end dialogue with PLO [WP 5/13]; U.S. State Dep't., White House issue sharp criticism; continuance of U.S.-PLO dialogue is questioned [LAT 5/13].
Concluding 3-day meeting, Arab League issues statement condemning emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel, finding U.S. responsible because of aid to Israel [TASS 5/30; WP, NYT, LAT, WT 5/31; CSM 6/1]; Sec.-Gen. Chedli Klibi delivers to U.S. ambassador to Tunisia Robert Pelletreau Arab League memorandum responding to earlier U.S. memorandum [MEM 6/8; QNA 6/8 in FBIS 6/13].
Egyptian Pres. Mubarak stops in Syria after Baghdad summit; meets with Pres. Asad to discuss summit resolutions [MENA 5/30 in FBIS 5/31].
Brig. Gen. Shmu'el Zucker assumes duty as commander of IDF forces in Gaza; replaces Brig. Gen. Tzvi Poleg [IDF 2/28 in FBIS 3/1].
Sec. Baker indicates Bush admin. would back $400 million loan guarantee program for housing Soviet Jews in Israel only if Israel stopped settlements in O.T.; also says he favors cuts in U.S. aid to Israel, Egypt, other major recipients in order to provide money for emerging democracies [NYT, WP, WT 3/2; NYT 3/3].
Pres. Bush denies U.S. is holding direct or indirect talks with Iran or Syria about release of American hostages in Middle East [WP, WT 3/2].
Appearing before House Foreign Affairs Committee, Defense Sec. Richard Cheney defends plan to give Egypt 700 surplus U.S. tanks made obsolete by reduction of European forces, says Israel was consulted and did not object [WT 3/ 2].
Arab diplomatic sources say ACC leaders have agreed Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen Arab Republic will intervene militarily in event of Israeli military threat to Jordan [WFD 3/1 in FBIS 3/8].
British Foreign Sec. Douglas Hurd meets with PLO advisor Bassam Abu Sharif in London; Hurd reiterates Britain's objection to settling immigrants in O.T. [WAKH 3/2 in FBIS 3/2].
Speaking in Jerusalem, Shimon Peres reiterates it is not Israeli gov't. policy to settle Soviet Jews in O.T. [JDS 3/2 in FBIS 3/2].
3 trade union groups in W. Bank end 9-year rift, merge into 1 group: General Federation of Trade Unions in the West Bank, headed by Shahar Saeed [MET 3/ 13-19].
Explosion detonated by "resistance fighters" kills 2 Israelis in S. Lebanon [BDS 3/1 in FBIS 3/2]; security sources report Israel has brought additional armored reinforcements into its "security zone" in S. Lebanon [BNR 3/1 in FBIS 3/1].
U.S. State Dep't. releases annual report to Congress on global human rights; it sharply criticizes Israel's actions in O.T., finds fault with most Arab nations as well [WP 2/22]; Israel criticizes report: "Everything we are doing arises from Arab violence," says Moshe Raviv of foreign ministry [NYT 2/22].
PLO's Bassam Abu Sharif tells reporters in Tunis that resettlement of Soviet Jews in O.T. is "an act of war against the Palestinian people," and that "such an action can only beget similar reactions-that is, acts of war" [LAT 2/23].
In Tunis, Arafat meets with Soviet ambassador to Tunisia, discusses Soviet Jewish emigration to Israel [AVP 2/21 in FBIS 2/22].
At the Kremlin, Nabil Amr presents his credentials to Soviet V.P. Anatoliy Lukyanov as ambassador of State of Palestine to USSR [TASS 2/21].
U.S. plans to give Egypt 700 surplus M-60 tanks made obsolete by cutbacks in U.S. forces in Europe (cf. 2/27) [WT 3/2].
Israel has told Jordan it objects to any Jordanian-Iraqi military cooperation. Israeli military source expresses concern that "a military alliance . .. is being set up against us" (cf. 2/20) [HAD 2/19 in FBIS 2/20].
5 Knesset members announce reestablishment of Likud faction Liberal Party, which had previously merged with Herut movement [JDS 2/19 in FBIS 2/20].
High-level Palestinian delegation, sent by Yasir Arafat, arrives in Beirut to meet with Gen. Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea [MENA 2/20 in FBIS 2/21].
Under pressure from Arab gov'ts., Soviet Union rejects U.S. appeal to allow direct flights for Soviet Jews from Moscow to Tel Aviv [NYT 2/20].
Soviet ambassador to Cairo, Gennadiy Zhuravlev, has stressed USSR readiness to host Israeli-Palestinian talks; denies this undermines Egypt's role [RYF 2/19 in FBIS 2/28].
Israeli air force bombs DFLP bases near Kfar Jarah, 4 miles east of Sidon in Lebanon; one person reported killed [LAT 2/ 20; IDF 2/19 in FBIS 2/20].
Social/Economic/Political
Occupied Palestine/Israel: Palestine Human Rights Information Center reports that at least 130 Palestinian houses have been partially or totally sealed in the first 2 years of the intifada; also approximately 270 Palestinian homes have been demolished by IDF [NYT 2/7].
Likud Central Committee reschedules meeting postponed because of 2/4 bus attack in Egypt to 2/12 [FBIS 2/6].
Arab World: PLO officially denounces 2/4 bus attack in Egypt, says attack cannot be viewed in isolation from daily Israeli violence against Palestinians in O.T., reaffirms policies prohibiting armed actions outside Israel and the O.T. [NYT 2/7].
PNC in Amman sends Gorbachev a 5-page memorandum asking "in the name of human rights, we appeal to you to take speedy measures to stop the emigration to Soviet Jews" to Israel [LAT 2/7].
Other Countries: Environmentalists call on Pres. Bush to cancel $300 million project to build VOA and Radio free Europe radio transmitter in the Negev [WP 2/7].
At least 20 Gazans are injured in clashes with soldiers; IDF uses light aircraft to track demonstrators after about 400 youths gather near Rafah [FBIS 2/7].
Arab World: SLA checkpoint on the border of Israel's "security zone" comes under fire from unidentified fighters [FBIS 2/7].
