The Palestine Chronology

Palestinian delegation spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi accepts appointment as PLO rep. in U.S., according to PLO officials in Jordan. Recent changes in U.S. law allow PLO to reopen office in Washington, officially closed since 1988. (WP 11/7)

WP reports that Clinton administration is seeking ways to avoid assessing $437 m. penalty on Israel for continued settlement activity, required by legislation implementing U.S. loan guarantees for Israel. Options include having Israel spend the funds to help implement Palestinian self-rule under Gaza-Jericho accord. (WP 11/6)

10th round of peace talks ends in Washington. Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi expresses "strong resentment" of "totally unacceptable" current U.S. working paper. (RMC 7/1 in FBIS 7/1; WP 7/2)

PM Rabin comments on U.S. document, saying, "any changes [to the 12 May document] will not be received by us with great sympathy, but with a disappointment." (MM 7/1)

2 Palestinian gunmen fire on Israeli bus in Jerusalem, killing 1, then hijack a car; IDF shoots, kills them and the Israeli woman driver at a roadblock. (Qol Yisra'el 7/1 in FBIS 7/1; NYT, WP 7/2)

Jordan Bank reaches agreement with Israeli officials to open branches in Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron. (al-Nahar 7/1 in FBIS 7/2)

AIPAC VP Harvey Friedman resigns after Washington Jewish Week quotes him calling Israeli Dep. FM Yossi Beilin "a little slimeball" in disagreement over Israeli govt's approach to peace process. (NYT 7/2)

U.S. Senate passes by unanimous consent S. Con. Res. 28, calling on Syria to withdraw its forces in Lebanon to the Biqa', Syria and Lebanon to disarm Hizballah, and characterizing 9/92 Lebanese elections as unrepresentative of "the full spectrum of the body politic of Lebanon." (Congressional Record 7/1)

FMs of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the PLO end 2-day meeting in Damascus, delay decision on resuming talks with Israel 4/20 in their final statement. (Radio Lebanon 3/29 in FBIS 3/30; NYT, WP 3/30)

Hanan Ashrawi says Palestinians rejected 3/26 U.S. offers, adds that such assurances are basic rights, "not issues for blackmail, negotiations, or pressure." (MM 3/30)

PLO amb. in Cairo Said Kamal says Pres. Asad and Chmn. Arafat have entrusted Pres. Mubarak to negotiate a solution to the deportees and raise new peace talks ideas during his 4/6 talks with Pres. Clinton in Washington. (MM 3/29)

Jordanian PM Sharif Bin-Shakir tells MPs that his govt. does not accept Israeli-Jordanian draft agenda negotiated by the respective delegations and publicized 10/27/92. It is missing some key points, particularly on Jerusalem. (MM 3/30)

IDF shoots 1 Palestinian dead in Jalazun camp, West Bank. Palestinian worker kills settler near Khan Yunis. Settlers burn down mosque in Gaza Strip. (IDF Radio 3/29 in FBIS 3/30; Qol Yisra'el 3/30 in FBIS 3/31; WP 3/30)