The Palestine Chronology

At FM Levy's request, Israeli inner cabinet meets to try to decide on a unifed negotiating position for FM Levy to take to Washington for much-delayed talks with PA negotiator Abbas. (MM 10/29; IDF Radio, QY 10/29 in WNC 10/30; ITV 10/29, 10/30 in WNC 11/3; CSM, MM, NYT 10/30; MM 10/31; YA 11/2 in WNC 11/4; WP 11/3)

Russian FM Primakov arrives in Egypt for 2-day visit--the last stop on his regional tour. (MM 10/29; MENA 10/29 in WNC 10/30; MENA 10/30 in WNC 11/3)

Al-Shuhada Street in Hebron partially reopens to Palestinian civilian traffic. (WP, WT 10/30)

41 yrs. after Israeli border policemen killed 49 Palestinians in Qufr Qassim on the day the 1956 war began, Israeli Tourism M Moshe Katsav returns to the village to give official apology. On departing, he is booed by villagers. (MM 10/30)

U.S. agrees to sell China nuclear technology after China promises to stop aiding Iran's nuclear development program. (WP 10/30)

Iraq orders all 10 American UNSCOM mbrs. to leave the country and the U.S. to cancel planned U-2 intelligence flights. (MM 10/31; CSM 11/3) (see 10/23)

Pres. Clinton, Jordan's Crown Prince Hassan meet in Washington. (RJ 10/1 in WNC 10/2, 10/3; RJ 10/2, 10/3 in WNC 10/6)   Egypt's Pres. Mubarak, PA's Arafat meet in Alexandria. (MENA, RE 10/1 in WNC 10/2)

Workers in Hebron finish repairs, improvements to Shuhada Street. (PR 10/10; NYT 10/23) (see 9/2)

In s. Lebanon, an SLA soldier is killed in a clash with Hizballah. (RL 10/1 in WNC 10/2)

After a weekend mtg. with Pres. Asad in Damascus, EU special envoy Miguel Moratinos says that Syria wants to rejoin the peace process. (WT 9/3)

Israel, Turkey, U.S. announce plans to hold joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean 11/15-25. Egypt, Syria protest; Turkey says that they may send observers if they like. (MM 9/4)

In Hebron, Jewish settlers throw stones at Palestinian laborers, lay down in the street to distrupt work on a U.S.-financed project to renovate al-Shuhada street, which was outlined in the Agreed Minute attached to the Hebron Protocol. David Muirhead, the American overseeing the project, says that the Israel police responded to the needs of the settlers only, did not come to the aid of the Palestinians, beat him and others, threw him into a van and detained him until the U.S. Consulate intervened. State Dept. calls on Israel to ensure security for the workers, calls incident"simply unacceptable." (NYT, WT 9/3; PR 9/12; JP 9/13)

In s. Lebanon, an Israeli explosive device detonates, injuring 2 Lebanese civilians. (RL 9/2 in WNC 9/4)

In keeping with the 1/14 Hebron protocol, the IDF begins a phased reopening of al-Shuhada street in Hebron. Ambulances, taxis are allowed to use the road, but private vehicles are not. (CSM, NYT 2/4; MEI 2/7; JP 2/15)

In the Vatican, PM Netanyahu meets Pope John Paul II for the 1st time. (MM 2/3; Radio UNO [Rome] 2/3, 2/4 in WNC 2/5; NYT 2/4)

UN special envoy Moratinos meets with Israeli DM Mordechai, briefs him on talks with Syrian Pres. Asad 1/29. (ITV 2/3 in WNC 2/6)

IDF demolishes 4 Palestinian homes nr. Janin. (LAWE 2/13) (see 1/28)

PA Justice M Frayh Abu-Midayn says that the PA has opened an investigation into Baba's death in custody 2/1. (NYT 2/4; MM 2/5)

Israel asks the U.S. to give it F-22 advanced tactical stealth fighters by way of compensation, if the U.S. supplies Saudi Arabia with 100 F-16s to replace its F-15 fleet. Saudi Arabia has not requested the F-16s yet, but is expected to do so. (MA 2/3 in WNC 2/6; WT 2/14)