The Palestine Chronology

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue at a high level, leaving 2 Palestinians dead. In Jinin, senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Iyad Hardan, wanted by Israel, is assassinated when a bomb planted in a public phone he frequently uses explodes. In response to Palestinian mortar fire nr. Nahal Oz crossing and nr. Netiv Haasara kibbutz inside the Green Line that causes no damage, the IDF fires rockets at PSF posts and a power station in Gaza, wounding at least 5 Palestinians, destroying 4 buildings, damaging 10 homes, causing blackouts. The IDF also bulldozes 100 dunams of Palestinian land in Shaykh Ajlin; begins work on a new settler bypass road linking Beit El settlement with Jerusalem; raids Burqa village, arrests 2 Palestinians. Sharon announces plans to build another 708 housing units in the Jewish settlements of Ma'ale Adumim, Alfe Menashe; the State Dept. criticizes the move as "provocative." Reportedly to ease tensions over the Erez shooting on 4/4, Israel reopens the Rafah border with Egypt, says it will allow 3,000 Palestinian workers into Israel. (LAW 4/5; AFP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/6; MENA, al-Quds 4/6, ITAR-TASS 4/7 in WNC 4/9; MM 4/9; AYM 4/9 in WNC 4/11; al-Quds 4/11 in WNC 4/12; LAW, WJW 4/12; MA 4/17 in WNC 4/18; MEI 4/20)

Sharon orders the Israeli security services to find ways to let Jews visit the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. (MENA 4/10 in WNC 4/11; WT 4/11)

In Washington, Bush receives 2 letters signed by 87 Senators, 209 House mbrs. calling on him to reconsider U.S. ties with the PLO. (REU, WP 4/6; al-Quds 4/8, HJ, MENA 4/9 in WNC 4/10; MM 4/9; SA 4/13 in WNC 4/16; HA 4/16; MM 4/18; JP 4/20)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes intensify slightly. For the 1st time, Palestinians fire 3 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, landing inside an army base nr. Nahal Oz kibbutz, lightly injuring 1 IDF soldier. Sharon reportedly orders the IDF not to respond in advance of his visit to the U.S. The IDF shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, damaging 3 homes. Jewish settlers move the boundary markers of Tal Rumayda settlement, confiscating 1 dunam of Palestinian land. (MM 3/19; WJW 3/22; LAW 3/24; MA 3/24 in WNC 3/26)

Secy. of State Christopher meets in Israel with PM Rabin, FM Peres, then with Palestinians led by Faisal Husseini, who tell him that all deportees must be returned for talks to resume. Palestinians read the secy. a letter from Chmn. Arafat, present 5-point memo assessing peace process. (NYT 2/24; Sanaa VOP 2/25 in FBIS 2/26)

Some 7,000 march against territorial compromise on the Golan Heights in Jerusalem. (MM 2/24)

Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies (Tel Aviv U.) publishes poll of non-settler, non-kibbutz mbr. Israeli Jewish pop. showing 58% believe the Arabs want peace, 95% of Israelis want peace; 29% favor Palestinian autonomy, 20% favor returning o.t. to Jordan; favor of a Palestinian state, annexation, and annexation with transfer each garnered 13%. 46% refuse to give back any of the Golan Heights, 33% would give back a small part. 75% believe military action can stop the intifada and terrorism, 60% feel the govt. has been too soft on this. (Davar 2/23 in FBIS 2/25)

Police Min. Moshe Shahal has set up team of jurists to work out a plan for o.t. police force to operate under the autonomy, one which will be a "clear expression of Palestinian self-rule." Historical models include British-French policing of the Hebrides. (Davar 2/23 in FBIS 2/26)

Israeli National Planning and Building Council subcomms. approve plan to build school for handicapped children in East Jerusalem, ending former Housing Min. Ariel Sharon's plan to build 200 Jewish housing units on the site. (Qol Yisra'el 2/26 in FBIS 2/26)

IDF shoots dead UN nurse watching demonstrations from his roof in Rafah, Gaza Strip-50th Palestinian killed by IDF since 12/17/92. (WT 2/24)

U.S. House Republican Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare releases "The New Islamist International," a report asserting Iranian backing of attacks on UN and Muslims in Bosnia while throwing blame on the Serbs, as well as other actions of intl. radical Islamist agenda. Report follows up similar 10/3/92 report. (WJW 4/22)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Industry and Trade Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered strict labeling guidelines for all products made in the occupied territories, which he claims "threaten Israeli firms with unfair competition" [JP 5/6]. Israeli police and Shin Bet arrest 5 more members of alleged underground Palestinan cell suspected of 2 murders, 2 attempted murders, bringing total arrested to 25 [JP 5/7]. Israel signs agreement to participate in U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative; Israel is the third to sign, after Britain and West Germany [LAT, WP 5/7]. Police Staff Sergeant-Major Yosef Oren is charged in police disciplinary court with beating a prisoner with electric cords to force him to confess to murder [JP 5/7]. Mattityahu Drobles, co-chairman of the World Zionist Organization's settlement department, vetoes proposal by his cochairman, Nissim Zvili, that 500 Palestinian refugee families replace the Israeli settlers in Kibbutz Netzarim instead of being settled at Tal Sultan; Gaza Strip settlers joined Drobles in dismissing the proposal [JP 5/7].

Arab World: Pres. Hafiz al-Asad ends 24- hour visit to Amman after talks with King Hussein aimed at improving relations between the 2 countries; no communique or joint statement is issued [NYT 5/7].

Other Countries: U.S. Senate rejects by vote of 73-22 the Reagan administration's request to sell $354 million worth of advanced arms to Saudi Arabia [NYT, WP 5/7]. Ahmad Nawaf Mansur, a Jordanian arrested in connection with the explosion at a West Berlin discotheque last month, has reportedly confessed to an earlier bombing in the city, saying it was organized by the Syrian embassy in East Berlin [NYT 5/7].

Military Action:

2 Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon land near kibbutz Zarit in northern Israel; IDF receives order from Sharon not to cross Marine lines, even in pursuit of Palestinian guerrillas.

Casualties:

Lebanese security forces chief Hisham Shaar says 4 killed in 10 days by IDF reconnaisance by fire.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Shamir reiterates Israeli rejection of Reagan plan, says only Camp David accords are acceptable; panic selling on Tel Aviv stock market with 40% fall in one week, paper loss of $500 million, following Government announcement of new regulation on mutual trust funds; head of Najah Univ. Student Council says he and other detained student leaders were subject to daily interrogations and beatings during 2 weeks of detention; Mayor Freij, in Cairo, meets with Foreign Minister Kamal Hassan Ali, urges PLO to negotiate with Israel on basis of Reagan plan.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: President Gemayel and representatives of MNF countries discuss ways to stop Israeli provocations against Marines.

US and Other Countries: US officials say Begin's visit to US delayed until agreement on troop withdrawal from Lebanon.

UN: Secretary General Perez de Cuellar, at press conference, says Middle East conflict can be settled through compromise formula of Reagan, Fez and Franco-Egyptian plans, that UN could provide framework for negotiations once a plan is agreed on.

Military Action:

Lebanese Army units take control of Sabra and Shatila camps; IDF imposes 5 PM to 5 AM curfew throughout West Beirut, enters Sabra to protect population, Drori ordered by Sharon not to enter Shatila; Gemayel family member acknowledges involvement of Phalange forces in massacre; Phalange militia withdraws through IDF lines with truckloads of Palestinian prisoners.

Casualties:

Casualty figures being put at 1,800; Lebanese Army, ICRC begin to recover bodies of massacre victims.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Cabinet meets behind police barricades in emergency session at Begin's home for 3 ?h hours, unanimously rejects any Israeli responsibility for massacre, calls for national unity, issues statement that charges of IDF complicity in massacre are "blood libel"; Cabinet agrees to accept UN observers in Beirut and to continue IDF withdrawal from city; police use teargas to disperse several hundred demonstrators at Begin's Jerusalem home; Labor Party, Peace Now, some Knesset members protesting outside Begin's home chant "Begin is a murderer," "Fascism will not take over," 7 arrested, later released; 400 Peace Now members demonstrate at Lebanon border; 50 arrested in Tel Aviv demonstration called by Committee Against the War in Lebanon; liberal Likud deputy Zeigerman calls for Sharon resignation; General Eitan claims Morris Draper and Wazzan hindered IDF efforts to make direct contact with Lebanese Army, says "we don't give the Phalangists orders, and we are not responsible for them"; heavy traffic along Haifa-Tel Aviv road because of demonstrations by kibbutzniks protesting massacre.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Central Committee meets in Damascus; Arafat receives message from Brezhnev; Wazzan calls on Reagan to send back US Marines, charges US with "material and moral responsibility" for killings.

Arab Governments: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ali threatens to recall Egypt's Ambassador to Israel in protest, asks immediate IDF withdrawal from Beirut and redeployment of multinational peacekeeping force; Jordanian paper al-Dustour blames 13S for massacre.

US and Other Countries: Reagan insists IDF withdraw from Beirut, considers redeploying US troops in Beirut as part of new temporary peacekeeping force; State and Defense Departments' working groups study options; France, Italy express willingness to send back troops.

UN: US joins in unanimous approval of Security Council resolution which condemns 'fcriminal" massacre of Palestinian civilians in Beirut, orders 50 UN observers sent to Beirut area.