PM Rabin and Secy. of Defense Cheney meet, agree to transfer $700 million worth of surplus U.S. military hardware to Israel, including training aircraft, attack and transport helicopters. Rabin later meets with Democratic candidates Clinton and Gore. Rabin expresses his opposition to proposed U.S. sale of F-15s to Saudi Arabia. (MM, WP 8/13; MM 8/14)
Israeli housing min. halts all govt. purchase, renovation, and settlement of properties in East Jerusalem; private purchase is still allowed. (NYT 8/13; Qol Yisra'el 8/12 in FBIS 8/12)
Israeli fin. min. announces that loans raised with U.S. guarantees will be deposited in special bank account, will not be used to augment regular budgets. (Qol Yisra'el 8/13 in FBIS 8/13)
Settlements in occupied outskirts of Jerusalem-Ma'ale Adumim, Giv'at Ze'ev, Etzion Bloc, Efrat, Betar, Kfar Adumim, and Adamorganize "Greater Jerusalem" forum to safeguard their interests, encourage govt. to annex greater Jerusalem area to Israel. (Davar 8/13 in FBIS 8/13)
MK 'Abd al-Wahhab Darawsha leads delegation of Arab Democratic Party to Egypt to express FM Peres' desire to visit Egypt, negotiate lifting of Arab boycott. (MM 8/12)
Israel reports that Syria test fired 2 North Korean Scud-C missiles recently. (IDF Radio 8/12 in FBIS 8/13; WP 8/14)
Fateh mbr. Hamzah Mubarak is assassinated in 'Ayn al-Hilwa camp, Lebanon. (VOL 8/12 in FBIS 8/13)
IDF shells, overflies Iqlim al-Tuffah region, S. Lebanon. (VOL 8/13 in FBIS 8/13)