The Palestine Chronology

Likud and Labor accuse each other of trying to bribe rabbis from small religious parties who control deciding votes in attempts to form gov't. [WT 3/29].

Customs officials in London discover 40 American-made trigger devices for nuclear weapons that were being smuggled into Iraq [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 3/29]; U.S. intelligence sources report Baghdad is installing Soviet-built medium-range ballistic missiles [WT 3/29].

Yasir Arafat meets with Nobel laureate Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. Mother Teresa says she will try to visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem this year [LAT 3/29].

U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approves provision to Israel's request for $400 million loan for Soviet Jewish housing. Provision reduces loan origination fee from usual 1% of loan to .25% of loan, saving Israel $3 million. Other legislation reduces annual service charges [WT 3/30].

Hungarian official says the national airline, Malev, soon will resume flying Soviet Jews to Tel Aviv from Budapest on its regular flights. Hungary suspended direct and charter flights of emigrant Jews on 3/ 21; the official says the charter flights will not be resumed (cf. 4/1) [WT 3/29; NYT 3/30].

Military Action:

IDF jets, artillery shell PLO positions for third day as IDF tanks move into strategic positions in northern Lebanon (IDF forces now poised for strike on northern port of Tripoli or east into Lebanon's central mountain range; IDF pounds Burj al-Barajneh; fighting resumes near Museum); gunboats hit Ain Mraisi; Israelis attempt to advance into W. Beirut along Corniche Mazraa.

Casualties:

ICRC urges "effective" cease-fire, says situation of civilians critical; World Vision says it has been barred by IDF since end of July from sending supplies into West Beirut; need for food critical; nine IDF soldiers wounded; Beirut's only synagogue shelled by IDF, sending Jewish families fleeing; UN Children's Fund has 20 tons of food awaiting authorization to enter W. Beirut; ME Council of Churches unable to send in shipment of powdered milk; Lebanese Red Cross finally able to get in two trucks with oxygen for hospitals.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Habib meets twice with Begin, mood optimistic; Habib returns to Beirut with new points raised by Begin.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Sarkis, Wazzan meet to discuss growing IDF grip on northern Lebanon, await Habib return from Israel; some Phalangists increasingly critical of Israeli presence in Lebanon.

US and Other Countries: US reportedly seeks expanded version of Camp David Accords using "momentum" of PLO withdrawal (expect to press Israel on issue of Palestinian autonomy, seeks to involve Saudis and Jordanians); Mother Teresa arrives in Lebanon as envoy of Pope; 200 Indians protest US support for Israeli invasion at US embassy in New Delhi.