Monday, April 2, 1990

Caretaker P.M. Shamir has set in motion plans quickly to begin construction of 5 more settlements in O.T. Labor MK Avraham Burg says "part of [Shamir's] plan is to kill the peace process" [WT 4/ 2].

Responding to Shamir's plans, U.S. State Dep't. spokesperson says "It's disturbing that an Israeli leadership which was unable to move forward on peace seems ready to move forward on new settlements" [LAT, WT 4/3].

Washington-based National Conference on Soviet Jewry reports that 7,280 Soviet Jews emigrated to Israel during March. The figure is confirmed by Israeli immigration officials [NYT 4/3].

Rabbi Meir Kahane goes on trial on charges of sedition for calling Arabs at rally last year "cancer spreading in our midst" [WT 4/3].

Pres. Saddam Hussein says in speech to his armed forces Iraq would use its stockpile of nerve gases against any aggressor, especially Israel. Hussein says if West was trying to "give Israel a cover in order to strike at some [Iraqi] industrial metalworks, by God we will make fire eat up half of Israel if it tried [to strike] against Iraq" [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 4/3].