The Palestine Chronology

Egyptian pol. advisor 'Usama al-Baz meets with PM Rabin, delivers message from Pres. Mubarak with proposal for Mubarak-Rabin summit. Message also reiterates Egyptian plan for deportees acceptable to Chmn. Arafat. (MENA, Qol Yisra'el 2/28, HaAretz 3/1 in FBIS 3/1)

Palestinian economist Ibrahim Matar says CIVAD budget publicized 2/27 should be 3 times bigger, and ignores many taxes o.t. Palestinians pay to the Israeli treasury. (MM 3/1)

PM Rabin tells Conf. of Presidents of Major American Jewish Orgs. that Israel will "try [its] best" not to give up the entire Golan Heights. (MM 3/1)

Israel arrests 4th Palestinian-American on charges of aiding Islamic groups. (Yedi'ot Aharonot 3/7 in FBIS 3/8; NYT, WT 3/8)

Israel successfully tests Arrow anti-missile system, 80% of which is financed by the U.S. (MM 3/1)

Civil Administration (CIVAD) budget for o.t. is made public for 1st time: NIS 827m (c. $300m), of which 722m comes from taxes and fees on Palestinians, 105m from state treasury. (Ha'Aretz 2/28 in FBIS 3/1; MM 3/1)

Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel; Israel shells targets north of 'security zone." (Qol Yisra'el 2/27 in FBIS 2/28)

PLO and Hamas reps. meet in Amman, discuss Palestinian meetings with Secy. of State Christopher, other issues such as Hamas inclusion in PLO. (al-Dustur 2/27 in FBIS 3/2)

PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Yasir 'Abd-Rabbuh says he and the PLO were "surprised" that U.S. would initiate dialogue with Hamas while refusing to talk to the PLO, but hoped that this dialogue would help to solve the deportees issue. (MENA 2/26 in FBIS 3/1)

Palestinian youth stabs Border Policeman in East Jerusalem, causing light wounds, and is caught. (Qol Yisra'el 2/26 in FBIS 3/1)

Car bomb explodes in garage under World Trade Center, New York, killing at least 5, wounding 1,000. (NYT 2/27)

Secy. of State Christopher and Russian FM Kozyrev announce they will invite the parties to resume Middle East peace talks in April; cosponsors will step up their roles as honest brokers. Russia will invite a PLO delegation to Moscow. (NYT 2/26)

Faisal Husseini receives "encouraging" letters of assurances, responses from Pres. Clinton and Secy. of State Christopher: commitment to process based on 242, 338, land for peace; assurance of progress this year; opposition to deportations, which are illegal; U.S. to be full partner; appreciation of Palestinian positions and encouragement to participate; support of previous U.S. commitments and documents. (Qol Yisra'el 2/25 in FBIS 2/26; MM 2/26; MEI 3/5)

U.S. tells PLO it has withdrawn its 6- point plan to end the deportee issue because Israel has not accepted major parts of it (specifically, points 1 and 2; see 2/24). (RMC, Moroccan Kingdom Radio 2/25 in FBIS 2/26)

Israel offers to reconfirm that 12/17/92 deportations were "exceptional," not permanent policy, pledges to allow back "many" Palestinians deported since 1967 if the Palestinians agree to resume peace talks in April. Israel also offers 2 proposals of tax relief to Palestinians. Offers fall short of Palestinian demand that Israel never deport o.t. Palestinians again. (MM 2/25; WT 2/26)

Hamas rep. in Amman Muhammad Nazzal reports that U.S. embassy official in Jordan has held 2 meetings with Hamas spokesman Ibrahim Ghawshah since the 12/17 deportations. Hamas reps. also met recently with ambs. from UK, France, Germany and Italy. (MM 2/26, 3/2; RMC 2/25 in FBIS 2/26)

Anti-peace process rally held at Birzeit U., West Bank. (ITV 2/25 in FBIS 2/26)

Jaffa Research Center releases poll of 773 Palestinian Israelis: 49% support resumption of talks before solving deportee issue; 71.5% feel Israel is "serious" in its talks with the Palestinians, but fewer than half feel talks will result in a solution to the problem. (ITV 2/25 in FBIS 2/26)

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) circulates letter signed by 58 senators urging Secy. of State Christopher to include Hamas in annual report on terrorism. (MM 3/31)

Secy. of State Christopher meets with Palestinian officials, presents 6-point plan to resume peace talks: (1) U.S. statement calling expulsions illegal and pressing UNSCR 799; (2) 242 and 338 are bases for talks and Jerusalem can be discussed; (3) binding Israeli commitment against expulsions; (4) speedy return of current deportees; (5) return of many post-1967 deportees; (6) Israeli commitment to stop human rights violations in o.t. Palestinians welcome the plan. Christopher tells them the U.S. has no current intention of resuming dialogue with the PLO. (NYT 2/25; Qol Yisra'el 2/24, 2/25 in FBIS 2/25; JTV 2/27 in FBIS 3/1; MEI 3/5)

PM Rabin meets again with Secy. Christopher, handing him a letter to deliver to Pres. Clinton calling for main effort on an Israeli-Syrian accord with resumption of talks. (Yedi'otAharonot 2/25 in FBIS 2/25)

IDF searches, closes Islamic and al-Azhar Universities in Gaza Strip for 1 week. (MM 2/25; Qol Yisra'el 2/24 in FBIS 2/25)

Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) distributes recent Russian intelligence rport stating Israel may have 100-200 nuclear weapons. (MM 2/25)

Secy. of State Christopher meets in Israel with PM Rabin, FM Peres, then with Palestinians led by Faisal Husseini, who tell him that all deportees must be returned for talks to resume. Palestinians read the secy. a letter from Chmn. Arafat, present 5-point memo assessing peace process. (NYT 2/24; Sanaa VOP 2/25 in FBIS 2/26)

Some 7,000 march against territorial compromise on the Golan Heights in Jerusalem. (MM 2/24)

Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies (Tel Aviv U.) publishes poll of non-settler, non-kibbutz mbr. Israeli Jewish pop. showing 58% believe the Arabs want peace, 95% of Israelis want peace; 29% favor Palestinian autonomy, 20% favor returning o.t. to Jordan; favor of a Palestinian state, annexation, and annexation with transfer each garnered 13%. 46% refuse to give back any of the Golan Heights, 33% would give back a small part. 75% believe military action can stop the intifada and terrorism, 60% feel the govt. has been too soft on this. (Davar 2/23 in FBIS 2/25)

Police Min. Moshe Shahal has set up team of jurists to work out a plan for o.t. police force to operate under the autonomy, one which will be a "clear expression of Palestinian self-rule." Historical models include British-French policing of the Hebrides. (Davar 2/23 in FBIS 2/26)

Israeli National Planning and Building Council subcomms. approve plan to build school for handicapped children in East Jerusalem, ending former Housing Min. Ariel Sharon's plan to build 200 Jewish housing units on the site. (Qol Yisra'el 2/26 in FBIS 2/26)

IDF shoots dead UN nurse watching demonstrations from his roof in Rafah, Gaza Strip-50th Palestinian killed by IDF since 12/17/92. (WT 2/24)

U.S. House Republican Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare releases "The New Islamist International," a report asserting Iranian backing of attacks on UN and Muslims in Bosnia while throwing blame on the Serbs, as well as other actions of intl. radical Islamist agenda. Report follows up similar 10/3/92 report. (WJW 4/22)

Palestinian delegation announces their participation inext round of talks requires Israeli commitment to never again deport o.t. Palestinians. Timetable for return of current deportees is negotiable. (NYT 2/23)

In Kuwait, Secy. of State Christopher asks Shaykh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah to lift the Arab boycott of Israel. He then flies to Cyprus and on to Beirut by helicopter in first senior official visit to the city since 1983, meets with PM Hariri, FM Buwayz. He calls for speedy Syrian redeployment to the east in compliance with 1989 Taef accord, and disarming of southern Lebanese resistance as prelude to pressing Israeli compliance with UNSCR 425. (MM, NYT 2/23)

Israel, SIA clash with Islamic Resistance in "security zone," exchange artillery fire, killing 1 resistance fighter, 1 UNIFIL peacekeeper. (MM 2/23)

Secy. of State Christopher meets with Pres. Asad in Damascus, telling him the U.S. will play an "active role" as a "full partner" perhaps lending "some ideas of its own" in upcoming peace talks. FM Shara' says the deportees issue is "a thorn in resuming the peace process," which is "more important." Christopher then meets with King Fahd in Riyadh. (MM, NYT 2/22)

Jerusalem Center for Media and Communications poll of o.t. Palestinians finds 83.7% oppose resuming peace talks without "settlement" of deportees issue; 61% favor talks after deportees settlement, 35% oppose. 32% feel talks will "never bring anything good for the Palestinians"; 50% feel they will bring some good. 58% regard PLO as the Palestinians' representative, 12.4% feel it is the Islamic movement. (MM 2/22; NYT 2/23; al-Sharq 2/25 in FBIS 3/8)

Secy. of State Christopher meets with King Hussein in Amman. No invitation to visit Washington emerges. (NYT, WT 2/21)

Secy. of State Christopher meets with Pres. Mubarak, FM 'Amr Musa in Cairo. Mubarak accepts Christopher's invitation to meet with Pres. Clinton in April. Christopher appeals to Israel to speed up the review process for deportees' individual cases. (NYT, WT 2/19, 2/20; MENA 2/19 in FBIS 2/19)

Chmn. Arafat meets with Pres. Hussein in Baghdad, delivers message from Pres. Mubarak. Egypt and the PLO are leading the effort tobring Iraq back into the "Arab fold." (Jordan Times 2/18-19)

IDF shoots Palestinian youth dead near Tulkarm. (MM 2/19)

Chmn. Arafat, Palestinian delegation mbrs. arrive in Amman for "Jordanian-Palestinian summit." (Radio Jordan, al-Dustur 2/18 in FBIS 2/18)

Ambs. of EC, Belgium, Denmark, and UK meet with Dep. FM Beilin in Jerusalem, express concern over human rights in o.t. (Qol Yisra'el 2/18 in FBIS 2/19)

IDF shoots Palestinian youth dead in West Bank. (NYT 2/19)

Former U.S. atty. gen. Ramsey Clark calls on UN to end its sanctions against Iraq. (MM 2/19)

Faisal Husseini and 40 delegation associates visit area in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, where homes were leveled by IDF 2/11 to offer sympathy, rally support for negotiations. Hamas and PLO supporters chant allegiance. (MM 2/17)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Chmn. Arafat in Cairo. (WT 2/20; MENA 2/17 in FBIS 2/17)

Israeli Aircraft Industries announces U.S. Def. Dept. has awarded them and American co. TRW a $240m contract to build 56 unmanned airplanes. Sen. Daniel Inouye (DHI) announces U.S. has budgeted $57m to improve Haifa port, which will serve as U.S. Navy's major regional anchorage. But as chmn. of Senate def. appropriations subcomm., he tells Israeli officials that they should prepare for a possible cut in U.S. foreign aid. (MM 2/17; WT 2/18)

Jordan appoints Shaykh Sulayman al-Jabari Mufti of Jerusalem. (MM 2/19)

Israeli justice min. announces that Shin Bet agent in charge when Mustafa 'Akkawi died under 2/4/92 interrogation has been disciplined. (WT 2/18)

IDF shoots 2 Palestinian youths dead in West Bank; another shot dead, while fleeing, 10 minutes after curfew, in Gaza City. (NYT 2/19)

Hizballah and Israeli, SLA forces engage in largest artillery battle of the year, killing 3 Islamic fighters, 2 other Lebanese. Israel shells up to 30 villages, including Nabatiyya. (MM, NYT 2/18)

PLO announces that Palestinians will not participate in negotiations until UNSCR 799 is implemented in full, regardless of Arab states' participation. (MM 2/16)

FM Peres meets with Def. Secy. Les Aspin, Secy. of State Christopher, and VP Gore in Washington. (ITV 2/16 in FBIS 2/17)

Speaking in Washington, FM Peres says he sees no reason why Jews cannot "lead normal lives under non-Jewish sovereignty" in addressing permanent arrangements with the Palestinians. (HaAretz 2/17 in FBIS 2/17)

Arab League Council holds emergency meeting in Cairo, issues statement strongly condemning repressive Israeli measures in o.t. (MENA 2/16 in FBIS 2/17)

Israel grants temporary visas to arriving group of 84 Bosnian Muslims. Palestinian Israelis at first welcomed the idea and agreed to settle the refugees in their villages, but now see their arrival as an attempt by Israel to improve its image in the wake of the Palestinian deportations, and have withdrawn their offer. (MM 2/16, 2/17; NYT 2/18)

Hizballah fires rockets at SLA post in southern Lebanon; Israel, SLA shell target villages north of "security zone." (NYT 2/17)

Human rights group al-Haq accuses Israel of "summary executions" in deaths of 6 Palestinians 1/27, 2/5, and 2/10. (WT 2/16)

IDF shoots Palestinian stonethrower dead near Nablus. Palestinian gunmen wound 2 settlers in drive-by shooting near Hebron. (WT 2/15)

PM Rabin declares the UNSC's 2/12 action on the deportations as a "formal conclusion" that now "paves the way for resumption of the peace talks." (NYT 2/14)

Islamic resistance gunmen attack SLA patrol, killing 1 and wounding 9. Israel, SLA retaliate by bombing target villages north of "security zone." (WP 2/14)

UNSC Pres. urges Israel to implement "as soon as possible" UNSCR 799, stresses the importance of resuming the peace talks. Palestinian UN delegate Nasir al-Kidwa called "completely meaningless" the UNSC's "rubber-stamp" (Hanan Ashrawi's word) of the 2/1 U.S.-Israel "100" offer. (WP 2/13)

Undercover IDF soldiers raid Palestinian wedding party in West Bank, shoot and wound the bride's father and arrest her brother. (WT 2/13)

On 1st day of 8-day visit to the U.S., FM Peres meets with UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali, UNSC Pres. Ahmad Senoussi (Morocco), terms Israel's "100" offer "rather consistent" with UNSCR 799. Senoussi agrees not to convene UNSC for the time being. (MM 2/11; Qol Yisra'el 2/11 in FBIS 2/12)

Chmn. Arafat blames U.S. for surging violence in the o.t. (Algiers VOP, AFP 2/11 in FBIS 2/12)

Press reports that Israeli o.t. military commanders recently issued a "sweeping and comprehensive" decree forbidding settlers from construction (including additional rooms), drawing up master plans for settlements, or any preconstruction activities. (HaAretz 2/11 in FBIS 2/12)

Israel releases 1 of 3 detained Palestinian-Americans on insufficient evidence. The detainee consistently denied any connections with Hamas, and accuses his interrogators of beating him during his 3 weeks in captivity. (MM 2/11; WT 2/12)

While capturing 4 wanted Hamas suspects, 200 IDF soldiers stage 12-hour raid in Khan Yunis, firing automatic weapons and anti-tank rockets at houses after ordering families out, badly damaging 20 homes of up to 35 families. Palestinian gunmen wound 2 IDF soldiers in separate drive-by shootings in Gaza Strip. (MM 2/12; WT 2/13)

Poll of 1,140 Jordanians reveals that 54.2% oppose any form of confederation with a Palestinian entity in the event of Israeli withdrawal, 44.6% favor; 23% support Jordanian withdrawal from the peace talks if progress is not made on other tracks, 72% oppose; and 72.5% supporthe military option if talks fail. (al-Nahar 2/11 in FBIS 2/12)

Israel announces it will allow lawyers to see 3 detained Palestinian-Americans. (WT 2/11)

Undercover IDF soldiers shoot dead 2 Palestinian youths, armed with a sword and an axe, who were writing graffiti. (WT 2/16)

Pres. Mubarak meets with Pres. Asad in Damascus. (MENA, SARA 2/9 in FBIS 2/10)

Palestinian gunmen shoot 50-year-old Israeli dead in Gaza Strip. (MM 2/10)

PM Rabin meets with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chmn. of the foreign operations subcomm., to discuss U.S. aid to Israel. Rabin says afterwards that "Israel is more than entitled to receive the full aid." Issue of aid cut did not arise in Leahy's earlier meetings with Fin. Min. Shohat (Qol Yisra'el 2/8 in FBIS 2/8; MM 2/8; WT 2/9)

Itamar Rabinovich takes office as new Israeli amb. to Washington. (Qol Yisra'el 2/9 in FBIS 2/9)

Hanan Ashrawi and head of Palestinian delegation to multilateral talks on refugees Muhammad Hallaj meet with State Dept., NSC officials involved in the peace process (with follow-up meetings 2/11). PLO pol. adv. Nabil Shaath reiterates 1/12 Palestinian conditions for resumption of peace talks. (MM 2/8)

IDF soldiers disguised as Arabs shoot dead 2 Palestinian youths near Jenin. (Qol Yisra'el 2/8 in FBIS 2/9; WP, WT 2/9)

U.S. announces it has "protested against the delay in consular access and the condition of treatment" of 3 Palestinian-Americans being held by Israel on suspicion of aiding Hamas (see 1/31, 2/1). (NYT 2/8)

Heads of Israeli delegation negotiating with Palestinians leaves for meetings in the U.S. (Qol Yisra'el 2/7 in FBIS 2/8)

Israel transfers 5 sick deportees from Marayun hospital in southern Lebanon to IDF base in Israel. (Qol Yisra'el, Radio Lebanon 2/7 in FBIS 2/8)

Former Jerusalem governor Anwar Khatib dies in East Jerusalem. (MM 2/9)

IDF shoots 2 Palestinian youths dead in the West Bank. (MM 2/8

Mufti of Jerusalem Sa'd al-Din al-'Alami, head of the Higher Islamic Council in the West Bank, dies. (Qol Yisra'el 2/7 in FBIS 2/8)

IDF shoots 1 Palestinian youth dead, wounds 27 during funeral for those killed 2/5 in Gaza Strip. (MM 2/8)

Israel releases list of 101 deported Palestinians who may return immediately to the o.t. Deportees refuse to accept the list and pledge that none will return until all are allowed back. (Qol Yisra'el 2/5 in FBIS 2/5; Radio Lebanon 2/5 in FBIS 2/8; NYT 2/6)

Palestinian UN rep. Nasir al-Kidwa meets with UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali, informs him of the PLO's decision not to participate in any peace talks until UNSCR 799 is implemented. (Sanaa VOP 2/5 in FBIS 2/8)

Chmn. Arafat meets with King Hussein in Amman, then flies to Cairo for 3-day visit. Talks with Pres. Mubarak focus on the deportees and peace talks, as well as arranging a Secy. of State Christopher-Arafat visit when the former visits the region beginning 2/17. (MENA, RJN, RMC 2/5 in FBIS 2/8)

Two polls find 61% and 54% of Israeli Jews are against the U.S.-Israeli package deal to allow 100 deportees back. (MaAriv, Yedi'ot Aharonot 2/5 in MM 2/5)

IDF shoots 3 armed Palestinians dead in a car in the Gaza Strip. IDF shoots 2 dead, wounds 30 more Palestinians in ensuing demonstrations. (NYT 2/6; MM 2/8)

UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali says he would welcome the return of 100 deportees, provided it was a step toward implementation of UNSCR 799. (MM 2/4)

Israeli interministerial comm. completes new guidelines for Shin Bet in interrogation of prisoners, pending PM Rabin's approval. The 1987 Landau Commission's "moderate physical pressure [is allowed]" clause will be replaced by a specific list of employable measures, and interrogators whose prisoners die under questioning will be immune from criminal charges, unless the rules were broken. (Qol Yisra'el 2/4 in FBIS 2/10; MM 2/5)

Pres. Clinton announces that Secy. of State Christopher will tour the Middle East 2/17-2/24, to persuade Arabs and Israelis to resume the peace talks. Christopher spends the day on the phone with officials in Russia and the Middle East. (WP, WT 2/5)

Addressing the Knesset, PM Rabin says that his "100" offer and U.S. acceptance of it preserves Israel's "ability to remove for a limited time hundreds of inciters, leaders, organizers." (NYT 2/4)

Chmn. Arafat announces Pres. Saddam Hussein encouraged him to continue the peace talks with Israel during their 2/1-2 meeting. (MM 2/3)

Great Britain denounces Israel's "100" offer, urging full compliance with UNSCR 799, but saying sanctions "would not be helpful." (MM 2/3)

UN diplomats announce France has drafted a UNSC statement declaring that Israel has not satisfied UNSCR 799 with its "100" offer. (WT 2/4)

PLO and the deportees reject Israeli "100" offer. (MM 2/2; WT 2/3)

Chmn. Arafat meets with Pres. Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, second such visit since the Gulf war. (Baghdad INA, Algiers VOP 2/2 in FBIS 2/3)

Amnesty International "deplores" the 12/17 deportations, calls on Israel to repatriate all of them. (MM 2/2)

Hamas rep. in Jordan condemns U.S. for labelling the org. as terrorist, stating that Hamas is an Islamic national liberation group, whose aims and methods are sanctioned under intl. law. (WT 2/3)

As part of U.S.-brokered deal, Israel offers to allow 100 Palestinian deportees to return, to reduce the exile period to 1 year and allow relief to the remaining 296. U.S. Secy. of State Christopher says "further action by the UNSC is unnecessary"; Israel's offer came with a U.S. pledge to block any sanctions. (MM, NYT, WP 2/2)

PLO, Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi reject Israel's "100" offer. (Algiers VOP 2/1 in FBIS 2/2; WP 2/2)

Chmn. Arafat meets with King Hussein in Amman, then leaves for Baghdad. (Radio Jordan 2/1, Jordan Times 2/2 in FBIS 2/2)

Israel announces it has arrested a 3rd Palestinian-American connected to Hamas (see 1/31). (Qol Yisra'el 2/1 in FBIS 2/1)

EC FMs meeting in Brussels welcome Israel's "100" offer, but have yet to determine whether it is sufficient to resume negotiations on extending economic cooperation with Israel. FM Peres is attending. (NYT 2/2)

U.S. announces it will include the actions of Hamas in its annual global terrorism report, officially labelling the org. as "terrorist." (WT 2/3)