The Palestine Chronology

In his 1st visit to Israel, Arafat flies to Tel Aviv to pay his condolences to Leah Rabin. (MM, NYT, WP 11/10; QY 11/10 in FBIS 11/13; WT 11/11; CSM 11/13)

British Foreign Secy. Malcolm Rifkind meets with PM Peres in Israel; then meets with Arafat. (JTV, VOP 11/9, JTV, RJ 11/10 in FBIS 11/13; NYT 11/11)

Israeli police arrest 3 friends of Yigal Amir--Drori Adini, Michael Epstein, Ohad Skornik--in connection with Rabin's assassination; say they believe Amir did not act alone. In the yard of the nursery school in Herziliya run by Amir's mother, police uncover crates of arms, grenades, explosives, detonator, fuses. Of the 5 arrested thus far, all are native-born religious nationalists, in their 20s, fr. middle-class backgrounds; all completed military service, 2 in elite brigades; 4 attended Bar-Ilan University. (MM 11/9; QY 11/9 in FBIS 11/9; CSM, NYT, WP 11/10; NYT, WT 11/11)

PM Rabin is assassinated by an Israeli Jew while leaving peace rally attended by 100,000 in Tel Aviv. The gunman, Yigal Amir, a 25-yr.-old law student fr. Bar-Ilan University, is captured, admits to shooting, says he acted alone. Amir is also a reserve soldier in the elite Golani brigade, frmr. emissary to Russia for immigration affairs at the Jewish Agency, and an a mbr. of Eyal--a right-wing settler group, known for violence against Arabs, protesting expanded Palestinian self-rule by setting up makeshift encampments in the West Bank. Security officials say Rabin's bodyguards mistook Amir for a limousine driver. (NYT, WP, WT 11/5; FBIS special supplement, NYT, MM, WP, WT 11/6; WJW 11/9; JP 11/11)

Arab leaders (excl. Libya's Qaddafi, Iran's Pres. Hashemi Rafsanjani condemn Rabin's assassination. In the territories, Palestinians generally express respect for Rabin, concern over his death, fear for the future of the peace process and their safety fr. settlers. In s. Lebanon, Palestinian refugees, Hizballah mbrs. celebrate Rabin's death. (WT 11/5; CSM, FBIS supplement, MM, NYT, WT 11/6)

In the West Bank, Palestinians clash with IDF troops after Jewish settler apparently kills a Palestinian boy. (NYT 11/5)

In Gaza, 1000s of Palestinians stage rally in commemoration of Shiqaqi. (HA 11/5 in FBIS 11/7)

Following the assassination, IDF order the closure of the West Bank, Gaza. (QY 11/5 in FBIS 11/6; NYT 11/7)

Portuguese Pres. Mario Soares meets with Pres. Weizman in Israel; requests Portugal's forgiveness fr. Jewish people for the Inquisition. (IL 11/7)