The Palestine Chronology

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu finalizes a deal to form a new coalition government comprising of his joint Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu list, Yesh Atid (19 seats), Bayit Yehudi (12 seats), and Hatnua (6 seats), giving the Likud leader control of 68 Knesset seats (out of 120). For the first time in a decade, an Israeli coalition government does not include any ultra-Orthodox parties. (BBC, REU 3/15)

A Palestinian man dies from heart problems brought on by inhaling tear gas fired by the IDF during clashes 3 weeks ago. After his funeral in al-Ram nr. Jerusalem, Palestinians clash with IDF forces (no serious injuries reported). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; in Hebron, al-Fawar r.c. and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon; and 1 in village nr. Jericho and 1 village nr. Tulkam at night. IDF soldiers conduct house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon and in 2 villages nr. Hebron at night. The regular weekly nonviolent demonstrations by Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals against the Israeli occupation this week also express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The demonstrations are also more widespread that usual (cf. 3/8), occurring in 5 villages nr. Ramallah (Abud, Bayt Liqia, Bil`in, Budrus, Ni’lin), 2 villages nr. Bethlehem (al-Khader, al-Ma’sara), Shuhada Street in Hebron, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). The IDF violently disperses the demonstrations, but no serious injuries are reported. (MNA 3/15; PCHR 3/21)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm (synchronized) and 1 nr. Ramallah during the day; patrols in Jenin, Jericho and 2 villages nr. Jericho and Ramallah late at night; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Hamas authorities in Gaza hang 3 Palestinian prisoners (all convicted of murder in 2004, 2009, and 2010). (PCHR 7/19; OCHA 7/20)

The Knesset education comm. votes to grant full university status to an academic center in Ariel settlement, deep in the West Bank, making it the first accredited Israeli university in occupied Palestinian territory. The decision comes as Palestinian medical students from al-Quds University in Abu Dis, just outside East Jerusalem, await a verdict on their appeal of a 2/2012 Israeli ruling that denied their request to be allowed to sit for Israeli exams that would certify them to practice in East Jerusalem or Israel. The Israeli government had denied the students permission to sit for the exams on the grounds that al-Quds was not an accredited Israeli university and could not gain accreditation because it was a Palestinian entity located in the West Bank. When they then sought permission to take the tests as foreigners, the Israeli court denied permission on the grounds that al-Quds could not be considered a foreign university, since it also has a campus in East Jerusalem. There has long been a shortage of doctors to treat Palestinians in East Jerusalem, where most Palestinian doctors are forced to work without licenses. (HA 2/13/12)

After 2 weeks of unsuccessful efforts to draft plans that would integrate ultraOrthodox Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel into the Israeli military, Kadima head Shaul Mofaz quits PM Netanyahu’s governing coalition; Netanyahu does not try to dissuade him. Analysts believed the decision (e.g., NYT 7/19) hurts both Kadima and Likud, and might hasten early elections. (NYT 7/18, 7/19)

Fmr. Israeli government attorney David Scharia is named the UNSC’s chief counterterrorism lawyer, marking the first time that an Israeli has been appointed to a security post within the UN Secretariat. (WP 7/18)

The IDF sends tanks into Jenin, clashes with residents, killing 4 Palestinians, wounding 1 Palestinian journalist; 2 IDF soldiers are also wounded. The IDF demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in Rafah, 2 in Balata r.c.; bulldozes Palestinian land nr. Jabaliya r.c.; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians protesting the curfew in Nablus, killing 1 Palestinian; fires on residential areas of Tal al-Sultan. (AP, HA, PM 1/28; LAW, PCHR 1/29)

Sharon and his Likud party win a landslide election victory largely at the Labor party’s expense. Likud gets 38 seats (up fr. 19 in the 2/01 elections; higher even that top projections, which figured Likud would take 32 seats), Labor gets 19 seats (down fr. 25), Shinui comes in 3d with 15 seats (up fr. 6), and the ultra-Orthodox Shas party gets 11 seats (down fr. 17); Meretz, 1 of Israel’s clear-cut peace parties, gets 6 seats (down fr. 10); the far-right National Union party, not represented in the last Knesset, gets 7 seats. Yisra’el Ba’Aliya party head Natan Sharansky quits the Knesset, Meretz head Yossi Sarid resign fr. as party chmn. in light of their parties’ poor showing. During the day, Israeli police detain 4 Israeli Arabs for leading a 15-car caravan around the Galilee, calling for an election boycott. Voter turnout was 68.5%-- lowest in Israel’s history. Sharon has 42 days to form a majority coalition. The new Knesset will have 40 freshmen MKs. (HA, MM, WP 1/28; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/29; AYM, al-Quds 1/29 in WNC 1/30; JP, MM, WJW, WP 1/30; JPI 1/31; PR 2/5; MEI 2/7; MM 2/18)

Bush gives State of the Union address, focusing on Iraq; says Saddam Hussein has missed his “final chance” by showing “utter contempt” for the UN inspectors; claims Iraq is hiding and amassing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs; including an active nuclear weapons program), deceiving inspectors, aiding al-Qa`ida; says the U.S. seeks to work with an international coalition to remove Hussein but will go it alone if necessary, adding that “The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world; it is God’s gift to humanity.” Regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, he says only that the U.S. will continue to work for a “secure Israel and a democratic Palestine.” (NYT, WP, WT 1/29; MM 1/30; MA 1/30 in WNC 1/31; MEI 2/7)

U.S. Asst. Secy. of State Walker arrives in Egypt for a mtg. with Pres. Mubarak. This is Walker's 1st stop a 15-day trip to Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and the UAE to urge Arab leaders to put pressure on Arafat to accept compromises on Jerusalem. (MM 7/31; MENA 7/31 in WNC 8/1; MM 8/1; WT 8/2; WJW 8/3; DUS 8/6 in WNC 8/7)

PM Barak survives Knesset votes (50-50, with 8 abstentions, 12 MKs absent; 53-48) on 2 no-confidence motions. (MM 7/31; NYT, WT 8/1)

The Knesset elects (63-57) the relatively obscure Iranian-born Likud MK Moshe Katsav over One Israel MK Shimon Peres, a 3-time PM and Nobel laureate, to replace Weizman as pres. Israeli public opinion polls prior to the vote showed Peres as the popular choice over Katsav by 63% to 20%, with 17% undecided. Katsav captured the votes of Sephardic and Russian MKs (with Shas voting as a bloc for him) because of his Sephardic background and of ultra-Orthodox MKs, who voted for him as a protest to Barak, who openly favored Peres. (MM 7/31; ATL 7/31 in WNC 8/1; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/1; ATL 8/1, SA 8/2 in WNC 8/3; WJW 8/3; JP, WP 8/11)

Acting on a tip, Israeli police arrest a Jewish resident of Jerusalem found with 3 rifles and a great deal of ammunition in his car. Police suspect he was en route to the West Bank to sell the arms, ammunition to settlers planning an attack on Palestinian targets. (MA 8/1 in WNC 8/2)

Israelis elect One Israel's Ehud Barak as PM with 56.1% of the vote, meaning no 6/1 runoff is needed. In the Knesset, 6 of the 15 parties to win seats are new, including the anti-Orthodox Shinui, formed 2 mos. ago, which won 6 seats. Control of right-wing parties shrinks, as Russians, other centrists gain, changing the balance of power. The ultra-Orthodox Shas, however, gains 7 new seats for total of 17 seats, security its place as the 3d largest party after Labor/One Israel (27, down fr. 34 seats), Likud (19 seats, down fr. 32 seats). The 1st Israeli Arab woman, Husniyya Jabara of Meretz, is also elected to parliament. Israel seals the West Bank, Gaza for the elections. Arab, Asian, European states, the U.S, and Russia welcome Barak's victory, hope it means the peace process will resume soon. (MM 5/17; AFP, LPA 5/17 in WNC 5/18; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/18; AFP, al-Ahram, Chungang Ilbo [Seoul], Interfax, JT, Kyodo [Tokyo], MENA, MKR, RE, RNE-1 Radio Network [Madrid], SANA, SAPA [Johannesburg], Taiwan Central News Agency, VOL, Xinhua [Beijing] 5/18 in WNC 5/19; al-Akhbar 5/18 in WNC 5/21; MENA 5/18, Athens News Agency, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, JT, LPA, RE, Sueddeutsche Zeitung [Munich] 5/19 in WNC 5/20; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 5/19; CSM, NYT, WJW 5/20; CSM, MEI, MM, NYT 5/21; JP 5/28; CSM 6/17)

In a victory speech, PM-elect Barak lists 4 "red lines" for peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA), promises to put any final status agmt. to a referendum by the Israeli public. (MM 5/18; JT 5/19 in WNC 5/20; MEI 5/21)

On the 3d day of his Washington visit, King Abdallah of Jordan meets with U.S. Secy. of State Madeleine Albright, calls for lifting sanctions on Iraq. U.S. urges France, Germany, other creditors to cancel Jordan's debt; encourages Jordan to seek additional U.S. economic assistance. In the afternoon, the king discusses trade issue with U.S. Commerce Secy. William Daley, receives reps. of various American Jewish groups at Blair House. (JT 5/17 in WNC 5/18; WP, WT 5/18; al-Ra'i 5/18 in WNC 5/20; MM 5/21)

Venezuela signs $20 m. deal to buy Israeli antiaircraft defense system. (YA 5/18 in WNC 5/19)

In s. Lebanon, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) shelling kills 2 civilians. (RL 5/17 in WNC 5/18; NYT, WP 5/18; RL 5/18 in WNC 5/19; WT 5/19)

U.S. cancels Washington summit planned for 5/11, says Pres. Clinton is trying to set up the talks for later this mo. Netanyahu spokesman Bar-Ilan says Netanyahu's schedule is full until 5/28. (al-Dustur 5/9, RJ 5/10 in WNC 5/12; NYT, WP, WT 5/10; NYT, WP 5/11; JP 5/16)

FMs fr. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, U.S. (in London to prepare for upcoming mtg. of the G-8 leading industrialized nations) unanimously call on Israel to accept the U.S. FRD proposal. (LPA 5/9, SANA 5/10 in WNC 5/12; WT 5/10)

At the Vatican, Lebanese pres. Hrawi discusses Israel's conditional withdrawal proposal with Pope John Paul II, who expresses support for Lebanon's stance. (RL 5/9, 5/11 in WNC 5/12)

ITV reports that it has uncovered a document signed by Infrastructures M Sharon in which the Likud promises Ultraorthodox leaders that in exchange for their votes for Netanyahu in the 1996 election, the party would make sure that 2 new settlements plus up to 79,000 new housing units in existing settlements would be constructed; would look into providing grants, loans, exemptions to cover settlers' construction costs. PM's Office says that it doubts the document could be considered a legal agmt., meaning that it would not have to have been submitted to the Knesset, does not constitute election bribery. (ITV 5/9 in WNC 5/12)

With all regular ballots in the Israeli elections counted, Netanyahu is ahead by 21,399 votes (0.7 percent); Likud, Labor are losing Knesset seats; religious parties are gaining seats. 150,000 absentee and military ballots, which in the past have gone overwhelmingly to Likud, have yet to be counted. The Israeli stock market drops 5 percent, value of the shekel falls. (MM, WP 5/30; IDF Radio, QY 5/30 in FBIS 5/30; MENA, QY, SARR 5/30, JP, QY 5/31 in FBIS 5/31; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 5/31; MEI, PR 6/7)

Netanyahu says that if he wins he will work to strengthen peace btwn. Israel, "Arab states with whom Israel already has peaceful relations." (QY 5/30 in FBIS 5/31; NYT 5/31)

Aides describe Pres. Clinton as "crestfallen" over Netanyahu's probable win, believing it to be a setback to his image as a peacemaker. Yet, Clinton says that, whatever the results, the U.S. will continue its support for Israel. (MM 5/30; NYT, WP, WT 5/31) (see 5/28)

PA says it will deal with any election outcome; if Likud wins, it must still continue the peace process. (JMCC, ITV 5/30 in FBIS 5/31)

Hamas says Netanyahu win would be a declaration of war against Palestinians, Arabs. (QY, RMC 5/30 in FBIS 5/31; AFP 6/2 in FBIS 6/3)

In Tel Aviv, Labor's M Ehud Barak, Finance M Avraham Shohat, Housing M Binyamin Ben-Eliezer meet to discuss party's future. Some see mtg. as an attempt to oust PM Peres from the party; others see it as an attempt to outflank Interior M Hayim Ramon's bid for party leadership, assuming Peres will resign. Peres is furious with Barak for holding the mtg. (IDF Radio, QY 5/30 in FBIS 5/30; IDF Radio, ITV 5/31, IDF Radio 6/1 in FBIS 6/3; NYT 6/4; IDF Radio 6/5 in FBIS 6/7)

Likud opens unofficial contacts with ultraorthodox parties regarding formation of a coalition government. PM Peres says he would not consider joining a Likud-led coalition; other Labor mbrs. say they would. (QY 5/30 in FBIS 5/31; WP 5/31)

Tsomet leader Rafael Eitan says Oslo agmts. must be reopened, because the winning camp's views differ from those of the previous government. PA denounces his statement. (IDF Radio 5/30 in FBIS 5/30) (see 3/12)

In s. Lebanon, Hizballah detonates 2 roadside bombs, killing 4 IDF soldiers, wounding 7 IDF soldiers, 2 journalists, 1 SLA mbr. (VOL 5/30 in FBIS 5/30; ITV, VOL 5/30 in FBIS 5/31; MM, NYT, WT 5/31; JP 6/8)

Syrian, Israeli negotiators meet in Washington; U.S. Special Middle East Coordinator Dennis Ross observes. Military officers do not participate, pending agreement on composition of expanded delegations. (MM 12/20; QY 12/20 in FBIS 12/20)

Likud leader Netanyahu says Israeli army officials already met secretly with Syrian Amb. Mu`allim, U.S. coordinator Ross in Washington this month. FM Peres does not deny mtg. took place. (MM 12/19; WT 12/20; MENA 12/21 in FBIS 12/22) (see 11/30)

Rabin's government wins no-confidence vote (56 to 41) brought by Ultraorthodox rabbis who used FM Peres comments that King David was an adulterer to force PM Rabin to bring religious parties into the coalition in hopes of derailing the peace process. (WT 12/19; NYT 12/19; IDF Radio 12/19 in FBIS 12/21; WJW 12/22)

FM Peres makes statement before Knesset denying contacts with Iraq, reaffirming support for sanctions after receiving "demand" fr. U.S. to help consolidate support for U.S. position on Iraq. (HA 12/21 in FBIS 12/22)

Arafat asks French FMin. to transport 2,000 Fateh cadres fr. camps in Sidon and Tyre, Lebanon, to Gaza to bolster police force, help contain Islamist opposition. Lebanese FM Faris Buwayz says Lebanon has no objection. (Al-Majd 12/19 in FBIS 12/20; Al-Ra'y 12/30 in FBIS 12/30; AFP 1/4, RL 1/5 in FBIS 1/5; MM 1/6)

Israeli Pres. Ezer Weizman arrives in Cairo for 3 days of talks with Pres. Mubarak. Weizman says UN Res. 242 must be applied to Jerusalem "so that part of it would remain Arab." (MM 12/19; MENA 12/19 in FBIS 12/20; MM 12/20, 12/21; MENA 12/20, QY 12/21 in FBIS 12/21)

Arafat meets with UNRWA delegation to discuss moving UNRWA headquarters to Gaza; meets with U.S. Congressional delegation to discuss recent events in peace process, Israeli land confiscation. (VOP 12/20 in FBIS 12/20; PR 12/24; MEI 1/6)

PFLP-GC says it is reducing its military, organizational cadres by 30% and stopping payments to families of martyrs and wounded because of financial problems. (Al-Muharrir 12/19 in FBIS 12/19; Shishan 1/27)

2 IDF soldiers, 1 Hizballah mbr., 1 Palestinian Islamic Revolutionary Army mbr. killed in clashes in southern Lebanon. IDF shells villages north of self-declared "security zone," wounding 1 civilian. (RL 12/19 in FBIS 12/20; MM 12/20, 12/21; QY 12/19 in FBIS 12/22; NYT 12/20)

In Brussels for international economic meetings, Sec. of State Baker rejects Soviet envoy Yevgeny Primakov's suggestion that solution to Gulf crisis be linked to Palestine question [LAT 11/17].

Soviet envoy Alexander Belonogov meets in Cairo with Pres. Mubarak to discuss Gulf crisis; Belonogov then leaves for Saudi Arabia [MENA 11/16, CDS 11/17 in FBIS 11/20].

Ultra-Orthodox Agudat Israel party joins P.M. Shamir's ruling coalition; belated agreement increases Likud majority from 62 Knesset seats out of 120, to 66 seats [JDS 11/16 in FBIS 11/16; NYT, LAT 11/17; CSM, MEM 11/19; JPI 11/24; MET 11/27].

Arab and nonaligned nations introduce Sec. Council resolution calling for UN observer force in occupied territories (o.t.) and for conference of 164 signators of Fourth Geneva Convention [LAT 11/17; MEM 11/19].

Iran and Iraq announce agreement on series of steps to end major disputes lingering from 8-year war; Iranian F.M. Velayati says he detects willingness by Iraq to end crisis by withdrawing from Kuwait [NYT 11/17].

700 members of U.S. Council of Jewish Federations pass without dissent resolution backing Bush admin. policy in Gulf, but say they will fight U.S. plans to sell weapons to Saudia Arabia [NYT 11/17].

IDF bars Gaza Strip and West Bank residents from Jerusalem as preventive measure against anticipated protests following prayers on Haram al-Sharif [FJ 11/19].

Israeli Immigration Minister Yitzhak Peretz ignites political row by calling for curbs on Soviet immigration, saying 4 of 10 newcomers are not Jewish [MEM 11/1].