MIDDLE EAST HOURGLASS:
- September 1, 1996: Israeli FM David Levy meets Egypt's Hosni Mubarak to discuss negotiations crisis.
- 2/9: Egypt threatens to cancel important November economic summit unless Israel makes concessions.
- 2/9: PLO's Faisal Husseini insists Israel must withdraw from "all of east Jerusalem".
- 2/9: PLO officials say Arafat released 120 Hamas and Islamic Jihad supporters from prison in the past month.
- 2/9: Islamists lose ground to pro-Syrian factions in third round of Lebanese
general elections.
- 3/9: US launches missile strikes against Iraqi targets.
- 4/9: Long-awaited Binyamin Netanyahu-Yasser Arafat meeting draws mixed reaction.
- 4/9: Opposition leader Shimon Peres hails Netanyahu-Arafat meeting as
"victory for our way of thinking".
- 4/9: Hundreds of Palestinians reported to be applying for Israeli
citizenship, fearing Arafat's security forces.
- 5/9: Three Islamists convicted in New York court for plotting to blow up 12
US planes.
- 5/9: Netanyahu tells disgruntled Likud ministers he will fire those who oppose his policy. He also commits government never to allow a Palestinian state, never to divide Jerusalem, and to promote Jewish settlements.
- 5/9: Arafat says issue of Jerusalem's status will "make or break" Mideast peace.
- 5/9: Jewish settlement council says it will launch major expansion - legally
or, if necessary, illegally.
- 5/9: EU turns down Israeli request that European foreign ministers not visit
the PLO's Orient House.
- 7/9: Media reports say Iraq's attack on Kurdish safe haven undermined CIA
plot to topple Saddam.
- 9/9: Former IDF chief of staff Ehud Barak announces he will stand for Labour
Party leadership.
- 9/9: Netanyahu, visiting US, says he wants to resume talks with Syria, but
Damascus appears disinterested.
- 9/9: Islamic wakf ignores court order interdicting it from unauthorised
building activity on Temple Mount.
- 11/9: After Iraq fires missile at US warplanes, US warns of further retaliation.
- 11/9: International Monetary Fund says Labour government caused Israel's
current economic crisis.
- 12/9: IDF reported to be watching unusual Syrian troop movements in Lebanon
and near Golan Heights.
- 12/9: Egypt conducts major military manoeuvres.
- 12/9: Netanyahu hints he will boycott EU foreign ministers who insist on
visiting Orient House.
- 12/9: Syria says it will not negotiate with Israel until Netanyahu accepts
previous Labour government's unofficial offer to withdraw from entire Golan
Heights.
- 12/9: After election period lull, Hizb'Allah resumes attacks on IDF in
southern Lebanon.
- 15/9: Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo warn Israel they will freeze
ties if Oslo process did not proceed.
- 15/9: 3 500 more US troops sent to Kuwait.
- 16/9: As Syrian troop deployments continue, US urges restraint from Israel
and Syria.
- 16/9: Israel to increase from 32 000 to 50 000 the number of Palestinians
allowed to work in green-line Israel.
- 17/9: Jerusalem municipality demolishes illegal building in Old City.
- 18/9: Shimon Peres rules out running again for PM.
- 18/9: PLO protests against Israeli decision to approve 1800 new settlement
housing units.
- 18/9: Syria says Israeli policies could lead to war.
- 19/9: Two Israeli soldiers killed, eight wounded in Hizb'Allah attack.
Israeli airforce retaliates, Netanyahu warns retaliation will follow every
Hizb'Allah attack.
- 21/9: Islamic Jihad promises more suicide attacks soon.
- 21/9: Arafat appeals to German businessmen to invest in PA area, cites
2000th anniversary of Jesus' birth as opportunity for them to contribute.
- 22-23/9: Yom Kippur passes quietly.
- 23/9: Israeli opening of exit to an excavated Hasmonean Tunnel near Temple
Mount sparks PLO protests.
- 24/9: FM Levy complains to Egyptian ambassador about barrage of anti-Israeli
criticism from Cairo.
- 24/9: Netanyahu visits Britain, France and Germany.
- 25/9: Rioting in Ram'Allah sees Israeli troops coming under PLO police fire
for first time; five Arabs killed.
- 26/9: Jordanian newspaper Sot Elmaraa says the PLO and Syria have signed a
military pact, agreeing to act in unison against threats, especially in
Lebanon.
- 26/9: Conflict spreads across Gaza, Judea-Samaria; six IDF soldiers killed
guarding Joseph's Tomb in Shechem.
- 27/9: Sixty Arab and 15 Israeli lives have been lost.
- 28/9: Netanyahu: the tunnel will remain open.
- 28/9: Security Council resolution calls indirectly on Israel to close
tunnel. US also urges it be closed.
- 29/9: Netanyahu, Arafat agree to summit in Washington.
- 30/9: Netanyahu pledges continuous talks with PLO until Hebron and other
outstanding issues are resolved.
- 30/9: Mubarak boycotts Washington summit. Netanyahu rejects firm Hebron
pull-back deadline.
- October 10, 1996: EU blames Israel for recent violence.
- 2/10: Two IDF soldiers wounded in South Lebanon Hizb'Allah attack
- 2/10: PLO spokesmen call US-hosted summit a failure.
- 3/10: Netanyahu urges Arabs not to lose faith in talks.
- 5/10: Buffer zones set up between IDF, PLO police.
- 5/10: Qatar says relations with Israel are frozen.
- 5/10: French PM Jacques Chirac to Israel: respect Oslo.
- 6/10: Israel-PLO talks begin at Erez checkpoint, set up committees to
discuss Hebron, other issues.
- 6/10: Syria accuses Netanyahu of "beating wardrums", calls on Arab states to
halt normalising ties with Israel.
- 6/10: Irish Foreign Minster Dick Spring arrives to bolster EU role in peace
process.
- 8/10: Netanyahu concerned about deteriorating ties with Jordan, after
repeated verbal attacks by Hussein.
- 8/10: Arafat tells Israel's ceremonial president Ezer Weizman PLO police
will not fire again at Israelis.
- 8/10: Netanyahu lambastes Labour Party for backing outside opinion against
Israel during recent crisis.
- 9/10: Government allows Muslims to open controversial new mosque under
Temple Mount.
- 9/10: Earthquake across Middle East measures 6.1.
- 10/10: Arafat hints to PA Council violence may recur: "We must be prepared
for all contingencies".
- 12/10: Israel's ties with Egypt, Jordan following recent violence said to be
at new low.
- 12/10: Official Syrian newspaper al-Thawra urges Arabs to prepare for
possibility of war with Israel.
- 13/10: Peres, Arafat meet to discuss Oslo process.
- 14/10: Weizman visits Egypt to placate Mubarak.
- 15/10: US Defence Secretary William Perry assures visiting Israeli
counterpart Yitzhak Mordechai of continued $1,8 billion US military aid package
- 15/10: Top Israeli intelligence officer warns Syria may attack if Golan
talks reach stalemate.
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