Israeli cabinet endorses PM Rabin's 3/30 decision to seal o.t. indefinitely and sharply reduce number of Palestinian workers in Israel, deciding weekly how many to admit (7,000 "essential" permits approved today). Training programs are approved to replace 20,000 Palestinians with Israelis. (Qol Yisra'el 4/11 in FBIS 4/12; WP 4/12; MM 4/13)
Israel approves 1993 o.t. development budget of NIS 450m ($164m), nearly 4 times the 1992 budget. NIS 140m will be spent immediately, with new work starting 4/18. CIVAD demands yearly increase of NIS 300m. (Al Hamishmar 4/13 in FBIS 4/13; JP 4/24)
Deportees spokesman 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Rantisi calls Faisal Husseini an "outright traitor" for his 4/10 statement on deportees issue. (WT 4/12)
Davar reports EC has approved Israel's "observer" status. (FBIS 4/13)