The Palestine Chronology

Israeli pres. Shimon Peres formally tasks PM Netanyahu with forming the next government with a deadline of 28 days. Peres says that it is essential for the next government to tackle the budget deficit, social justice, universal military conscription, and renewed negotiations with the Palestinians. Netanyahu emphasizes the need to form as broad a coalition as possible to deal with domestic and international challenges. (HA, JP 2/2)

IDF soldiers attack and evacuate around 200 Palestinian activists who had set up a protest camp called alManatir in Burin village nr. Nablus, injuring around 20. During the clashes, Jewish settlers attack Burin with Molotov cocktails and rocks, and set fire to olive trees. Earlier, Jewish settlers shoot a Palestinian teenager in the leg in Burin. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 3 villages nr. Jericho at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night. (MNA 2/2; PCHR 2/7)

U.S. admin. sources say Pres. Barack Obama’s admin. has “launched a last-ditch diplomatic campaign” to convince the Palestinians to abandon their statehood initiative at the UN by making it clear that the U.S. will veto and by presenting (soon, via the Quartet) a proposal for renewed talks as an alternative. The sources say that the Quartet proposal is aimed primarily at swaying UN member states to vote against a Palestinian statehood resolution and is not expected to result in a resumption of serious peace talks. (NYT 9/4).

The IDF conducts afternoon and evening patrols in Jenin and 4 nearby villages, 2 village nr. Tulkarm, and 1 nr. Hebron; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. In Israel, as many as 400,000 Israelis turn out nationwide (more than 300,000 in Tel Aviv) for protests calling for social justice. July 14th movement organizers had called for a million-person march today to revive the Saturday protests, which fell off after the 8/18 Elat attack. After the rally, demonstrators begin taking down tent camps, as organizers switch attention to forming local committees to press for social reforms. (WP 9/4; PCHR, WJW 9/8; OCHA 9/9; Foreign Policy [Internet] 9/12; see also NYT 9/1)

Egypt, in effort to improve relations with Israel by strengthening border security, begins an operation to close smuggling tunnels under the Rafah border. Meanwhile, the Israeli emb. in Cairo hires contractors to erect a 12-ft. wall around the emb. in effort to deter the 100s (and sometimes 1,000s) of Egyptian who have gathered outside since the 8/18 Elat incident to protest the deaths of 3 Egyptian soldiers. (WP 9/4, 9/5)

The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Tulkarm, in 1 instance firing rubber-coats steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them; sends troops into Bayt Umar to break up a peaceful rally in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, sparking stone-throwing clashes and arresting 5 Palestinians. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba beat 2 Palestinian teenagers nr. the settlement; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Later, other Jewish settlers in Hebron attack 2 other Palestinian teenagers. (PCHR 8/11; OCHA 8/12)

For the 3d Saturday in a row, Israelis hold massive popular protests across Israel calling for “social justice.” As many as 320,000 Israelis take part, making it the largest demonstration in Israel’s history. For the first time, some Israeli Palestinian communities take part, calling for “social justice for all.” (ICAHD 8/7; WP 8/8; JPI 8/12)

Unidentified assailants attack and damage Egypt’s national gas pipeline to Israel for the 3d time in a month and the 5th time since unrest in Egypt erupted in 2/2011 (see 7/11). IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working nr. the border fence, grazing 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized morning patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin; patrols in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm, 2 nr. Salfit, and 1 each nr. Jericho and Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the IDF enters Silwan at midday, raiding a home and arresting a Palestinian. (JTA 7/31; PCHR 8/4; OCHA 8/5)

As many as 150,000 Israelis in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Beersheba, and 6 other cities protest the high cost of living, demanding economic reforms, “social justice,” and “a welfare state now.” In previous days, the Histadrut, Israel’s labor federation, said it strongly supports the demonstrations. (WP 7/31; NYT, WP, WT 8/1)

At Bolling AFB, Secy. of State Albright meets with PA, Israeli negotiating teams. (WT 3/28)

U.S. special envoy Ross arrives in Israel to brief Barak on Clinton's 3/26 mtg. with Asad. Afterward Barak tells the Knesset that Asad is "not ready for the type of decisions that are necessary to reach a peace agreement." (WP 3/27; MM, WP, WT 3/28; WJW 3/30)

Syrian FM Shara` says that the Israeli proposals Pres. Clinton brought to Geneva not only were not new or better but worse than previously. (MM 3/27; WP 3/28, 3/29; WT 3/31; MEI 4/7)

In an unprecedented move, Israel's Interior M Natan Sharansky announces that he will restore to the Israeli Arab village of Kafr al-Qasim 250 acres of its land that had been taken to develop the neighboring Jewish town of Rosh Ha'ayin. The step is intended to promote democracy, social justice, and equal opportunities for all citizens. (NYT 3/28; MM 3/30)

Israel's atty. gen. opens a criminal investigation of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to determine whether to charge him with incitement for a 3/18 sermon in which he said that Education M Sarid's should be "extirpated" and his memory obliterated for recommending Palestinian poetry be included in Israeli curricula (see 3/13). (MM 3/27; NYT, WP 3/28; JP 3/31; CSM 4/4)

In the Knesset, 5 no-confidence votes against the Barak government fail. The most serious motion attacked Bark's presumed intent to give away Arab neighborhoods abutting Jerusalem. (NYT 3/28)

New EU rotating head, Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez arrives in Jerusalem on 1st leg of regional tour to show EU political, economic support of the peace process; meets with PM Rabin then with Arafat. (MM 9/12; JP 9/12 in FBIS 9/13; JP 9/23)

Lebanese M Michel al-Murr travels to Damascus to ask Pres. Asad to forbid entry to Palestinians deported fr. Libya unless they have visas to continue on to Lebanon. PM Hariri stresses that Lebanon is fully coordinating its position on the deportees with Syria. (MM 9/12)

U.S. protests Arab League, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) plan to hold conference in Jerusalem 10/17-19. 70 states, excl. Israel have been invited. Arab League, OIC say U.S. approved plans 4 mos ago, but Israel's recent complaints let to formal U.S. disapproval. U.S. denies this. (WT 9/12)

PFLP mbrs Shahar and Yusuf Ra'i, wanted by Israel for killing 2 Israelis 7/18, are sentenced by the PA military court in Jericho to 7 yrs each. Israeli Justice M Liba'i calls trials a violation of the Oslo agmt. meant to avoid extraditing the pair. FM Peres says PA is not violating the DOP. (MM 9/12; IDF Radio, QY 9/12, QY 9/13 in FBIS 9/13; NYT 9/13) (see 8/27)

Likud party defector David Levy releases his new party's political platform, calling for secure peace; terming itself a "national-social centrist party" filling a vacuum btwn. the radical right (Likud), radical left (Labor); vowing not to withdraw fr. West Bank or give up Jerusalem, any settlements. (MA, QY 9/11 in FBIS 9/12)

The Israeli Interior Min. rejects Jonathan Pollard's request for citizenship. Pollard is currently jailed in the U.S. for spying on behalf of Israel. (QY 9/11 in FBIS 9/12; MM 9/29)

3 Hizballah mbrs. are killed in clash with IDF in s. Lebanon. (RL 9/11 in FBIS 9/12)