Israeli PM Barak meets with Arafat at Erez crossing to discuss Wye implementation, allay Palestinian fears that Israel will prioritize talks with Syria over negotiations with the PA. Barak asks...
Israel claims that during his international tour, Arafat has been urging nations to support UN Res. 181 as the basis of a peace agreement; says that the 1947 res., calling for...
Limiting constitutional rights of illegal immigrants, the U.S. Supreme Court rules (6-3) that the government can deport a group of 8 Palestinians, 1 Kenyan simply because of their...
In Morocco for a 3-day conference on the future of Jerusalem, Arafat backs away fr. vows to declare a Palestinian state on 5/4, saying that the PA is working on a "formula" for...
146 Israeli writers, artists, intellectuals issue appeal in support of a Palestinian state in all of the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as a shared capital. (MM, NYT 2/2; PR 2/5) (see Doc. C4...
In Tel Aviv, U.S. special envoy Ross says that the U.S. plans to play a much less active role in final status negotiations, thinks "permanent status is not something that should be mediated." (...
Read more
Israeli PM Barak meets with Arafat at Erez crossing to discuss Wye implementation, allay Palestinian fears that Israel will prioritize talks with Syria over negotiations with the PA. Barak asks Arafat to delay implementation of Wye FRDs until a final status agmt. is close to completion, but says he would implement Wye as signed if the PA objects. Arafat says he prefers Wye to be implemented in full as soon as possible, but agrees to Barak's request to have a PA-Israeli comm. examine ideas for a delay over the next 2 wks. before giving a final answer. (MM 7/27; MA, QA 7/27 in WNC 7/28; CSM, MM, NYT, WP 7/28; MENA 7/27, MENA, RMC, SA 7/28 in WNC 7/29; al-Quds, QA 7/29 in WNC 7/30; CSM 7/29; AYM 7/29 in WNC 8/2; MEI 7/30; JP, MM 8/6; MEI 8/20)
Israel, the PA agree to begin work on a joint industrial park, modelled on Gaza's Qarni industrial zone, to be located along the Israel-West Bank border in Jinin. (WT 7/28)
Georgia, Israel sign a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation. (Radio Tbilisi 7/27 in WNC 7/28)
Israel, Uganda sign an agmt. to expand economic relations. (Radio Uganda 7/27 in WNC 7/29)
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, awards Hillary Clinton, who is considering a run for New York's Senate seat, its highest honor for humanitarian service. Some Hadassah mbrs. protest the decision to honor Clinton, given her statements in 5/98 in favor of a Palestinian state. (WP, WT 7/27; WT 7/28; WJW 7/29; see also WJW 7/15; WJW 8/5)
After 2 days of talks in Damascus, the PFLP Central Comm. recommends accepting Fatah's invitation to engage in national unity talks. (al-Dustur 7/27 in WNC 7/28) (see 7/24)
Hamas says it is not opposed to taking part in national unity talks with the PA, but says it will not take part in final status talks, since doing so would imply Hamas accepts the Oslo process. (al-Dustur 7/27 in WNC 7/28)
Israel claims that during his international tour, Arafat has been urging nations to support UN Res. 181 as the basis of a peace agreement; says that the 1947 res., calling for partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, was nullified by the Arab side and cannot be invoked now by Palestinians. (WT 4/1; MENA 4/2, 4/4 in WNC 4/5; al-Quds 4/2, al-Ahram 4/4, MENA 4/6 in WNC 4/7; JP, PR 4/9)
Israel celebrates passover, leaving borders with occupied territories open rather than sealing them as it usually does on Jewish holidays. (WT 4/1)
PA releases 11 political detainees, all mbrs. of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, to mark Id al-Adha. (PR 4/9)
The IDF places a blockade on the West Bank village of Dayr Abu Mishal, nr. Ramallah, after a Jewish settler claims that Palestinians threw stones at him fr. the direction of the village. Israeli soldiers arrest 21 teenagers. (LAW 4/5)
2 mbrs. of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine are wounded in a clash with mbrs. of Fatah Uprising in al-Baddawi refugee camp in s. Lebanon. (VOL 4/1 in WNC 4/2; SA 4/2 in WNC 4/5)
Limiting constitutional rights of illegal immigrants, the U.S. Supreme Court rules (6-3) that the government can deport a group of 8 Palestinians, 1 Kenyan simply because of their controversial political views in support of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. (WP, WT 2/25; MM 2/26; PR 3/5)
Israeli Trade Min. announces that it has allocated new lands to build moderate-, small-scale factories in several West Bank, Gaza settlements, including Keddumim, Efraim, Erez. (PR 3/5)
U.S. planes fire on 2 Iraqi missile sites s. of Baghdad, killing, injuring a number of civilians according to the Iraqi government. There have been nearly daily attacks on Iraq since the U.S. adopted (see 1/25) its policy of sustaining low-level strikes against security targets in effort to contain Saddam Hussein. (NYT, WP, WT 2/25) (see 2/11)
In Morocco for a 3-day conference on the future of Jerusalem, Arafat backs away fr. vows to declare a Palestinian state on 5/4, saying that the PA is working on a "formula" for statehood. Orient House head Faisal Husseini says PA has accepted "in principle" U.S., EU calls to delay declaration. (AP [Internet] 2/23)
Turkey charges Ocalan with treason, rejects EU request to send observers to the trial. (AFP 2/23 in WNC 2/24; NYT, WP, WT 2/24)
Some 1,200 Palestinian doctors, nurses, health administrators in the West Bank strike to protests PA's failure to implement civil service law passed in 5/98, which would increase their salaries. (AP [Internet] 2/23)
Overnight, Hizballah mbrs. intercept elite IDF commando squad operating n. of Israel's self-declared security zone, killing 3, wounding 5. (MM 2/23; VOL 2/23 in WNC 2/24; MM, NYT, WT 2/24; AFP 2/25 in WNC 2/26; MEI, MM 2/26; MEI 3/12; WT 4/14)
146 Israeli writers, artists, intellectuals issue appeal in support of a Palestinian state in all of the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as a shared capital. (MM, NYT 2/2; PR 2/5) (see Doc. C4)
At the Western Wall, 100 Orthodox yeshiva students surround group of 33 American Reform rabbis, calling them "nothing but biological Jews," saying they should "go back to Germany" to be exterminated. (CSM, NYT 2/2) (see 1/26)
In Rafah, 1 PSF officer is killed in shootout with 3 wanted Hamas mbrs. he was surveilling. The fugitives escape in a car, hitting Palestinian boy and girl, who later die of their injuries. The 3 are arrested hrs. later in Shati refugee camp. (WT 2/2, 2/5)
U.S. Asst. Secy. of State Indyk, special rep. Ricciardone stop in Oman, UAE on last leg of their Gulf tour. Indyk claims Gulf states "broadly support" the U.S. position on Iraq. (MM 2/1, 2/3, 2/4) (see 1/31)
In Tel Aviv, U.S. special envoy Ross says that the U.S. plans to play a much less active role in final status negotiations, thinks "permanent status is not something that should be mediated." (USIS Washington File 1/12; NYT, WP 1/13; PR 1/15)
After 4 yrs., Lebanon lifts travel restrictions on Palestinians, dropping requirement for Palestinians to obtain visas to return to Lebanon. (RL 1/12 in WNC 1/13; NYT 1/13; RL 1/16 in WNC 1/20)
Netanyahu's office warns the PA that Israel would bar Arafat, PA officials fr. leaving he autonomous enclaves should the PA unilaterally declare statehood. (MEI 1/15)
PM Netanyahu meets with U.S. millionaire Irving Moskovitz, who is in town to decided which right-wing candidate for PM he will support financially in the 5/17 elections. Netanyahu gives assurances that he will not halt Moskovitz's construction of 132 units in the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem. Congressman Michael Forbes (R-NY) is accompanying Moskovitz. (MM, WP 1/14; MM 1/21; JP 1/22; PR 1/29)
In what police, FBI term a sophisticated operation, burglars break into offices of prominent Washington polling firm, Greenberg Quinlan Research, that is advising Israeli PM-candidate Barak. Firm says that its international work was targeted, but it is uncertain whether files on Barak were among those stolen. (MM, WP 1/13; YA 1/13 in WNC 1/14; WJW 1/14; MM 1/20)
Israeli Religious Affairs M Eli Suissa cuts the size of local religious councils to keep them all Orthodox. A recent High Court ruling ordered the powerful councils (which run marriage bureaus and burial societies, maintain synagogues and ritual baths, supervise kosher inspections for both religious and secular Jews) be expanded to include Reform, Conservative Jews. (WT 1/13)
IDF lifts closure on Hebron imposed 1/4. (MM 1/14, MEI 1/15)
Unidentified assailant stabs, wounds Palestinian in West Jerusalem. (MM 1/12; PR 1/15, JP 1/22)
IDF uproots Palestinian orchard nr. Jewish settlement in the West Bank. (AFP [Internet] 1/12)
In Cairo, FMs of Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen hold 2d mtg. to prepare agenda for 1/24 Arab League mtg. on Iraq. Jordan does not condemn mtg. but is upset at not being included, blames Syria, warns that "forming axes" only deepens Arab divisions. (MM 1/12; MENA, RE 1/12 in WNC 1/13; MM 1/13; al-Dustur, MENA 1/13 in WNC 1/14; MM 1/14; JT, MENA, RE 1/14 in WNC 1/16; MM 1/15) (see 1/3)
The U.S. secretly sends letters to Arab states urging them to support its position on Iraq at the 1/24 Arab League mtg. (MM 1/22)
U.S. planes fire on Iraqi missile battery in n. no-fly zone. Defense Dept. says that Iraq has sent planes into the no-fly zones 66 times in the past 2 wks., targeted U.S. and British planes 12 times, increased its number of missile sites fr. 9 to 17. (CSM, NYT, WP, WT 1/13)
