As the Knesset begins debate on ratification of the 10/23 Wye River Memorandum, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu suspends the agmt.'s implementation, saying he will not carry out the 1st of 3 stages...
Discouraged by their mtg. 4/16, King Hussein sends PM Netanyahu a letter criticizing his hard-line policies. (MM 4/20; RJ 4/20 in WNC 4/21; MM 4/21; JT 4/21 in WNC 4/23; al-Ra'i...
On his 1st official visit since he assumed his position 3 yrs. ago, EU Pres. Jacques Santer arrives in Egypt on 1st leg of 7-day tour that also will take him to Israel, the PA self-rule areas,...
PA Civil Service informs Palestinian chief justice and pres. of the High Court, Qusay al-Abadla, that he must retire. (LAW 1/23; PCHR 1/25)
Syrian FM Shara` warns that U.S. credibility...
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As the Knesset begins debate on ratification of the 10/23 Wye River Memorandum, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu suspends the agmt.'s implementation, saying he will not carry out the 1st of 3 stages of further redeployment (FRD) required by Wye until PA head Yasir Arafat retracts his 11/15 threat to stage an uprising against Israel if Palestinian access to Jerusalem is blocked. (MM 11/16; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 11/17; WJW 11/19)
U.S. special envoy Dennis Ross meets with Arafat in Jericho. (ITV 11/16 in WNC 11/18; WT 11/17)
In Cairo, Netanyahu political adviser Uzi Arad discusses Wye agmt. with Egyptian FM `Amr Musa, who criticizes Israeli implementation delays. (MENA 11/16 in WNC 11/17, WNC 11/18)
In Gaza, Israel, Jordan, the U.S. meet to discuss the Irbid industrial zone project. (Petra-JNA 11/17 in WNC 11/19; JT 11/23 in WNC 11/24; Petra-JNA 11/23 in WNC 11/30)
In Cairo, Russia, Egypt hold high-level experts mtg. on defense cooperation. Russian DM hopes deepening military ties "will become an important factor of peace and stability in the Middle East." (Interfax, ITAR-TASS, MENA 11/16 in WNC 11/17; MENA 11/17 in WNC 11/18)
After 3 days of talks, Oman, Iran reach military cooperation agmt. to enhance Gulf security, which will include joint exercises. (IRNA 11/16 in WNC 11/17)
PM Netanyahu announces creation of Birthright Israel program, which will pay for any Jew aged 15+n26 to visit Israel in hopes of rebuilding Jewish identity of youth, who more frequently marry non-Jews, are nonpracticing. The program, expected to cost $300 m., will be funded by the Israeli government, major North American Jewish donors, the Council of Jewish Federations. (NYT 11/16; WJW 11/19, 11/26, 1/7)
Citing Israeli FM Ariel Sharon's 11/15 call for settlers to "grab" disputed West Bank land, 30 settlers fr. Keddumim set up "presettlement" on nearby hilltop. (MM 11/17; MA 11/17 in WNC 11/18; WT 11/19)
Palestinians in al-Khader protest confiscation of land for bypass road. (CSM 11/17)
Israel Defense Force (IDF) convoy triggers roadside bomb in s. Lebanon, killing 3 soldiers, wounding 4. Hizballah claims responsibility. (AFP, ITV, RL 11/16 in WNC 11/17; MM, WP 11/17; WT 11/18; MEI 11/27; JP 11/30)
U.S. special envoy Ross arrives in the Middle East for the 1st time in 4 mos. (WT 9/9; WP 9/10; MEI 9/18)
CIA offers the PSF Israeli modifications to the 12/97 memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Israeli-PA security cooperation rejected by PM Netanyahu. (MM 9/11)
In Amman, PA negotiator Abbas briefs Crown Prince Hassan on talks with Israel. (Petra-JNA 9/8 in WNC 9/9)
Turkish PM Yilmaz meets with Arafat in Ramallah. (MM 9/8; JP 9/19)
The Lebanese army breaks up an armed clash btwn. Amal, Hizballah mbrs. nr. Sidon. (VOL 9/8 in WNC 9/9) (see 5/10)
Arafat presents new cabinet to the PC. (MM 8/5; MM, NYT 8/6; LAW, MM, PR 8/7)
By phone, Secy. Albright tells PM Netanyahu that the freeze in the peace process is harming U.S. interests in the Middle East, is affecting the U.S.'s ability to forge a coalition against Iraq (see 8/4). Netanyahu asks Albright to send special envoy Ross back to the region, but she refuses. (MA 8/6 in WNC 8/7)
In Damascus, Iran, Syria hold talks on financial cooperation, joint investments, elimination of double taxation. (IRNA 8/5 in WNC 8/7) (see 8/2)
2 Jewish settlers on patrol around Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus are shot, killed. IDF places curfew on nearby Palestinian villages, search for attackers but do not find them. PM Netanyahu authorizes expansion of Yitzhar; settlers say that they will start work immediately. (MM, NYT 8/5; CSM, MM, WP, WT 8/6; MM 8/7; YA 8/7 in WNC 8/11; JP 8/15)
In s. Lebanon, 1 Hizballah mbr. is killed, 1 is wounded by IDF shelling. (RL 8/5 in WNC 8/6; VOL 8/5, RL 8/6 in WNC 8/7)
Discouraged by their mtg. 4/16, King Hussein sends PM Netanyahu a letter criticizing his hard-line policies. (MM 4/20; RJ 4/20 in WNC 4/21; MM 4/21; JT 4/21 in WNC 4/23; al-Ra'i 4/21 in WNC 4/30; al-Aswaq 4/22 in WNC 4/27; MEI 4/24; SA 4/26 in WNC 5/1)
British PM Blair, the current EU pres., arrives in Cairo on the 1st leg of his 1st Middle East tour; discusses with Pres. Mubarak the status of peace process, EU role. (MENA 4/17 in WNC 4/20; ESC Television [Cairo] 4/17, al-Ahram, ESC Television 4/18 in WNC 4/21; al-Quds al-Arabi 4/22, MENA 4/24 in WNC 4/27)
UNSCOM reports to the UNSC that it has made virtually no progress over the past 6 mos. in verifying that Iraq has destroyed any remaining weapons of mass destruction. (WT 4/18) (see 3/26)
In s. Lebanon, 4 IDF soldiers are wounded in attack by Amal. In 2 separate incidents, 1 civilian, 3 IDF soldiers are injured by Hizballah shelling. (RL 4/28 in WNC 4/21)
On his 1st official visit since he assumed his position 3 yrs. ago, EU Pres. Jacques Santer arrives in Egypt on 1st leg of 7-day tour that also will take him to Israel, the PA self-rule areas, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. The trip is meant to underline the EU decision taken 1/26 to play a more forceful political role in the Middle East. (MENA, RE 2/6 in WNC 2/10; MEI 2/13)
In s. Lebanon, Hizballah detonates roadside explosive as SLA patrol passes, killing 2 SLA mbrs., wounding 2. (IDF Radio 2/6 in WNC 2/10)
PA Civil Service informs Palestinian chief justice and pres. of the High Court, Qusay al-Abadla, that he must retire. (LAW 1/23; PCHR 1/25)
Syrian FM Shara` warns that U.S. credibility could plummet across the Middle East if Pres. Clinton does not put the peace process back on track during his mtgs. this wk. with Arafat, Netanyahu. (NYT 1/18)
In Amman, unidentified assailants murder 8 persons, including top Iraqi diplomat Hikmat al-Hajou, his wife, several Iraqi businessmen. (NYT 1/19; JT 1/19, SA 1/20 in WNC 1/21; MM 1/20; MEI 1/30; JP 1/31) (see 1/3)
2 Hizballah mbrs. are killed in clash with IDF in s. Lebanon. (RL 1/23 in WNC 1/27)
