The Palestine Chronology

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Lawyers Felicia Langer and Lea Tsemel win High Court injunctions staying deportation of 12 former Palestinian prisoners released in the 5/20 prisoner exchange [FJ 8/9]. The Jerusalem Post reports Gush Emunim has decided not to build new settlements but to expand existing ones, starting with Eli, on the Nablus-Ramallah road [JP 8/8]. Peres wams Jordan against continuing to harbor Palestinian fighters [JP 8/9]. P. M. Peres tells U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Whitehead Israel would like to start direct peace negotiations with Jordan and the Palestinians immediately. Foreign Min. Yitzhak Shamir stresses Irael's objections to any meeting between Murphy and the Palestinian delegates now proposed [JP 8/8]. Israeli authorities arrest Khalil Abu Ziad, bookstore owner from Azzariya, and announce they have issued a deportation order against him [MG 8/9]. Abu Ziad is charged with involvement in "subversive activities" and representing Fateh. Abu Ziad is appealing the order in Israeli court [NYT 8/9]. Israeli army reports arrest of several Palestinians suspected in the gasoline bomb attack on border guard patrol near Nablus [JTA 8/9]. Education Minister directs ministry's religious education division to ignore instruction of 8/7 forbidding social meetings between Israelis and Palestinians [JTA 8/9].

Other Countries: President Reagan signs $25.4 billion foreign aid bill, which provides $3 billion for the next two years to Israel, plus a one-time infusion of $1.5 billion in emergency economic aid. Egypt gets $2.1 billion for the next 2 years, plus $500 million in emergency economic aid [JP 8/9].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Gasoline bomb is thrown at army truck on the outskirts of Tulkarm; no injuries or arrests are made [JP 8/9].

Arab World: Israeli jets bomb PFLP-GC base in the Biqa'; no casualty reports given [NYT, JP 8/9].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: The Daily Telegraph reports depleted uranium, potential material for making nuclear explosives, was exported to Israel last autumn after it was bought from Luxembourg, in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [DT 7/12, JW 8/1]. EEC spokesman reports private Luxembourg metals trading company imported 40 tons of depleted uranium from Britain and 7 tons from France; 47 tons then exported to Israel without required notification to Euratom (EEC agency charged with keeping track of trade of nuclear materials by EEC member states) [VO 8/1]. Foreign Min. Shamir calls Jewish underground defendants "excellent people who made a mistake" [JP 7/12]; vows to work for their release. Four Gazans are convicted of plotting to attack the U.S. embassy [JP 7/12].

Other Countries: U. S. House of Rep. passes fiscal 1985 Foreign Aid Authorization Bill on voice vote. Bill includes $3 billion in regular economic and military assistance for Israel, plus $1.5 billion in emergency supplemental economic aid; $400 million of military assistance is allocated to Lavi aircraft project, $150 million of which must be spent in the U.S. [NER 7/15].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Bombs go off in Ashkelon and Hadera; no injuries are reported [JP 7/12].