The Palestine Chronology

Two-day tripartite meeting of foreign ministers of Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia begins in Cairo; this is 3d meeting since Gulf crisis began [MENA, RMC 12/3 in FBIS 12/4; MET 12/11].

Greater Beirut officially comes under control of Lebanese Army after Lebanese Forces militia vacate positions [MEM 12/3; NYT, WT, WP, CSM 12/4; BDS, BVL, RFL 12/3 in FBIS 12/4; MET 12/11].

Def. Sec. Cheney tells Senate Armed Services Committee that military action rather than economic sanctions is only sure way of forcing Iraq out of Kuwait [NYT, WT, WP, MEM 12/4; CSM 12/5].

Soviet television reports that 1,000 of the 3,000 Soviet citizens still held in Iraq will be allowed to return to USSR within next 3 weeks [NYT, WT, WP 12/4].

In separate statements before English-speaking or American audiences, Israeli D.M. Moshe Arens, Housing Min. Ariel Sharon, Deputy F.M. Benjamin Netanyahu, and several MKs offer sharp warnings that Iraq should not be left with its army and weapons intact after Gulf crisis [NYT 12/4; WP 12/6]; Sharon compares Sec. Baker's proposed Baghdad trip to Neville Chamberlain in World War II [JDS 12/3 in FBIS 12/4].

Israeli military court sentences to 30 years each of 12 Arabs apprehended in PLF's May 1990 attempted attack on Tel Aviv beach [IDF 12/3 in FBIS 12/5; LAT 12/4; MEM 12/4; MET 12/11].

Quoting B'Tselem data, HaAretz reports that Palestinians are prohibited from building on 68% of West Bank's 5.5 million dunums [HAA 12/3 in FBIS 12/5].

Israeli air force and navy confront "fishing vessel that appeared suspicious" off coast of Gaza; force it ashore and shoot dead 1 crew member who tries to flee; five others are detained [JDS 12/4 in FBIS 12/4; MEM 12/4].

At least 10 "anti-Israeli combatants" are killed in 2 incidents of fighting with IDF, SLA troops in S. Lebanon [IDF, AFP 12/3 in FBIS 12/4]. 

Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council agrees to Bush-Aziz and Saddam-Baker meetings intended to avert war; U.S. admin. officials rebuff Iraqi suggestion that talks deal also with Palestine question [NYT, WP 12/2; BDS 12/1, PAT 12/2 in FBIS 12/3; MEM 12/3; MET 12/11].

Israeli air force planes bomb Palestinian Popular Struggle Front base in S. Lebanon, wounding at least 5 people [NYT 12/2; BDS 12/1 in FBIS 12/3; JDS 12/1 in FBIS 12/4].

Egypt, PLO, and Gulf states welcome Pres. Bush's overture toward Iraq, PLO's Yasir Abd Rabbo calls it "a step in the right direction" [MENA 12/1, WAKH, RTS 12/2 in FBIS 12/3; NYT 12/2; MEM 12/3].

Israeli police shoot dead middle-aged Palestinian woman after she tries to stab Jerusalem policeman; policeman is not hurt [NYT 12/2].

Def. Sec. Richard Cheney signs order raising to 189,250 the maximum number of military reservists who can be ordered to active duty in Gulf; previous limit was 125,000 [NYT, LAT 12/4].

129th Israeli reservist is jailed for refusing to serve in o.t. [JPD 12/2 in FBIS 12/3].

In Boston, estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people protest against U.S. military involvement in Gulf [MEM 12/3].

John Major is selected as next prime minister of Britain [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 11/28; CSM 11/29].

Bush admin. announces that Chinese F.M. Qian has been invited to Washington for talks with Sec. Baker, in what appears to be compensation to Beijing for its support for draft UN resolution authorizing force against Iraq [NYT, WT 11/28].

Saddam Hussein tells reporters that Iraq does not have nuclear weapons; International Atomic Energy Agency reports Iraq's small stock of highly enriched reactor fuel has not been diverted to build nuclear weapons [NYT, WT, WP, MEM 11/28].

2 PFLP fighters and 5 Israeli soldiers are killed, 6th is wounded during firefight near Shabaa, S. Lebanon. Hours later, Israeli air force bombs PFLP and DFLP bases east of Sidon, and Israeli long-range artillery hits villages north of "security zone" [AFP, IDF, BDS, JDS 11/27 in FBIS 11/27; MEM 11/27; NYT, LAT. WT, WP 11/28; CSM 11/29; JPI 12/8; MET 12/11].

Rear Adm. Gene La Rocque (Ret.) tells congressional committee that 6-month Gulf war would result in deaths of 10,000 U.S. soldiers, wounding of 35,000 others, and cost $80 billion [LAT 11/28].

In Tunis, Yasir Arafat confers separately with ambassadors of the 5 permanent members of UN Sec. Council, discussing Gulf crisis and situation in o.t.; Arafat tells ambassadors to demand Sec. Council issue same ultimatum to Israel that it intends to address to Iraq [MEM 11/28; MAP 11/28 in FBIS 11/29].

Saudi official says his country's gratitude toward USSR for its support in Gulf crisis has motivated Saudi Arabia to lend Moscow as much as $1 billion as part of GCC "financial cooperation program" [MEM 11/27, 11/29; WP 11/29]. 

U.S. Sec. of Defense Richard Cheney meets with Israeli counterpart Moshe Arens in Washington; Cheney assures Arens that U.S. will continue to support financially Israel's $160-million Arrow missile defense program despite U.S. budget crunch [NYT, LAT 7/21].

Searchers locate crash site of Israeli air force plane missing since 7/13 in Golan Heights. Pilot was killed [JDS, IDF 7/20 in FBIS 7/20; LAT 7/21].

Israeli authorities detain 5 Jewish Americans accused of organizing immigration of Israeli Jews to U.S., W.Europe [ITT 7/20 in FBIS 7/23].

IDF troops shoot, injure 36 Gaza Palestinians after prayer services commemorating 5/20 Rishon le Zion killings [LAT 7/21].

Yasir Arafat meets with UN Sec. Gen. Javier Perez de Cuellar in Geneva to discuss report submitted by UN envoy Jean-Claude Aime on 7/4 [INA 7/8 in FBIS 7/9; MEM 7/9].

PLO reports it is prepared to discipline Abul Abbas and PLF for 5/30 attempted raid on Israel, but only after U.S. agrees to resume and expand U.S.-PLO dialogue. "We want a real dialogue, not a mailbox to send questions and wait for answers," says Yasir Abd Rabbo [NYT 7/13].

Fateh Central Committee opens meetings in Tunis [INA 7/11 in FBIS 7/ 12].

Israeli police officer is stabbed and seriously wounded while patrolling near Church of Holy Sepulchre in the Old City [NYT, LAT 7/9].

Israeli air force jets destroy Hizballah base in Jarjuh, Lebanon, killing 2 and wounding at least 7; military says base was used for organizing attacks inside Israelicontrolled "security zone" in S.Lebanon [IDF 7/8 in FBIS 7/9; NYT, LAT 7/9].

Israeli air force planes bomb PFLP-GC bases north of Tripoli and in al-Biqa' Valley in S.Lebanon [JDS 7/6 in FBIS 7/6].

Robert Dole tells his Senate colleagues they made "dangerous" mistake in passing resolution recognizing undivided Jerusalem as capital of Israel [LAT 4/20]; key House Republicans, including Minority Whip Newt Gingrich, criticize Dole for straying from the party's "unwavering commitment to Israel" [NYT, WT 4/20].

Former nat. sec. advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski endorses notion of cutting foreign aid to Israel and other top recipients, saying "It is simply an absurd situation in which one single country has come to view American aid for itself to be a permanent entitlement" [WT 4/20].

PLO officials, Soviet Jewish organizations, and members of Jewish intelligentsia meet in Moscow to discuss settling of Soviet Jews in O.T. [MTS 4/19 in FBIS 4/23].

Tear gas canister is thrown into Agudat Israel party meeting near Tel Aviv [LAT 4/20; JDS 4/19 in FBIS 4/20; WP 4/23].

Rabbi Avraham Verdiger, 1 of 2 party members who withdrew support for Shimon Peres at vote on 4/11, reverses his position, says he will support Peres in future vote [NYT, LAT, WT 4/20].

Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine stalls release of American hostage, apparently due to U.S. refusal to send high-ranking diplomat to Syria to work out unspecified details [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 4/20].

Arafat arrives in Baghdad on state visit [BVP 4/19 in FBIS 4/20].

Israeli air force bombs PFLP-GC bases in S. Lebanon [jDS 4/19 in FBIS 4/19]. 

Israel has told Jordan it objects to any Jordanian-Iraqi military cooperation. Israeli military source expresses concern that "a military alliance . .. is being set up against us" (cf. 2/20) [HAD 2/19 in FBIS 2/20].

5 Knesset members announce reestablishment of Likud faction Liberal Party, which had previously merged with Herut movement [JDS 2/19 in FBIS 2/20].

High-level Palestinian delegation, sent by Yasir Arafat, arrives in Beirut to meet with Gen. Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea [MENA 2/20 in FBIS 2/21].

Under pressure from Arab gov'ts., Soviet Union rejects U.S. appeal to allow direct flights for Soviet Jews from Moscow to Tel Aviv [NYT 2/20].

Soviet ambassador to Cairo, Gennadiy Zhuravlev, has stressed USSR readiness to host Israeli-Palestinian talks; denies this undermines Egypt's role [RYF 2/19 in FBIS 2/28].

Israeli air force bombs DFLP bases near Kfar Jarah, 4 miles east of Sidon in Lebanon; one person reported killed [LAT 2/ 20; IDF 2/19 in FBIS 2/20].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli Air Force source tells the Jerusalem Post that U.S. intends to sell 24 Apache attack helicopters to Egypt and 19 to Israel [JP 2/10].

Arab World: PLO sends to European Community amessage regarding Soviet Jewish emigration to Israel [FBIS 2/14].

Other Countries: New York Times reports on poll sponsored by Tel Aviv's Israel-Diaspora Institute of 1,310 U.S. Jewish leaders; 74 percent of respondents favor talks between Israeli officials and PLO "moderates" [NYT 2/10].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: IDF troops shoot, wound at least 30 Rafah Palestinians in clash at funeral of Arab killed 2/7 [FBIS 2/12; MET 2/20].

IDF seals off Nablus, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, and parts of Gaza Strip as Palestinians celebrate the 8th anniversary of the outlawed Palestine Communist Party [MET 2/20].

Palestinian dies of wounds received 2/8 [FBIS 2/12].

Social/Economic/Political

Arab World: PLO member Salah Khalaf tells reporters U.S.-PLO dialogue has reached a"dead end;" says PLO concessions have not brought any results [FBIS 1/22].

Davar reports that Fateh members in Lebanon have exposed anetwork of spies for Israel, according to Palestinian sources in Cairo. The spies worked in S. Lebanon, marking militia bases for the Israeli Air Force [FBIS 1/23].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Molotov cocktail is thrown at Israeli bus in al-Bireh, 1 person is injured [FJ 1/19].

At least 8 Palestinians are wounded in clashes with IDF troops throughout O.T. [FJ 1/29]; including a 6-year-old shot in the head by a plastic bullet [FBIS 1/23].

Arab World: In Yaroun, Lebanon, in the Israeli "security zone" Arabs barricaded in a house exchange fire with Israeli troops. 4 Arabs and Israeli Colonel, Yitzhak Ramihov, are killed [FBIS 1/22; NYT 1/23; FJ 1/29; JP 2/3].

Egyptian police officers in Asyut open fire on Muslim fundamentalist demonstrators demanding the arrest of Zaki Badr, hard-line Interior Minister dismissed 1/12. One person is killed, police arrest 12 [NYT 1/24].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli police arrest Faisal Husayni and charge him with aiding illegal Palestine Popular Army. Charges stem from 1/18 trial in which Husayni's name was mentioned [FBIS 1/19; NYT 1/20].

D.M. Rabin returns from Washington after talks, says he met a "sympathetic audience" [FBIS 1/19].

Fateh candidates win 9 of 11 seats in the Gaza physicians' association, the first of several upcoming trade union elections [FBIS 1/23].

Arab World: Egyptian F.M. Ismat Abd-alMajid concludes talks in Washington, flies to New York for meeting with UN Sec. Gen. Perez de Cuellar [FBIS 1/19].

Other Countries: Bush administration condemns Israeli arrest of Husayni, saying "such actions discourage Palestinian confidence in the peace process" [NYT, WP 1/20].

United Jewish Appeal launches Operation Exodus, fund-raising effort designed to raise $420-$480 million from American Jews to help resettle Soviet immigrants to Israel [NYT, WP 1/20].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: About 500 Palestinian youths attack with stones and bottles a Gaza police station. Police use tear gas to break up crowd [FBIS 1/22].

At least 11 Palestinians are wounded in clashes throughout the O.T. [FBIS 1/22].

Arab World: Israeli Air Force attacks targets in S. Lebanon, killing 3 and wounding 18. Fighter-bombers attack PFLP positions near Sidon, and Hizballah strongholds in Iqlim al Toffah district [FBIS 1/19; NYT, WP 1/20].