Chronology

July 16, 2011 - October 15, 2011

Abbreviations

ABC, ABC News

AFP, Agence France Presse

Al-Arabiya, Alarabiya.net

AJE, Aljazeera.net

AA, Asharq Alawsat

AP, Associated Press

Bloomberg

BBC, www.bbc.co.uk

CBS, www.cbsnews.com

CSM, Christian Science Monitor

CNN, www.cnn.com

Dawn, www.dawn.com

EurasiaNet, www.eurasianet.org

FT, Financial Times

Global Voices

The Guardian

GN, Gulf News

Haaretz

HRW, Human Rights Watch

Hurriyet

IBT, International Business Times

JP, The Jerusalem Post

KT, Khaleej Times

LM, Le Monde

Magharebia

NPR, National Public Radio

NYT, The New York Times

RFE/RL, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Reuters

VOA, Voice of America

WSJ, The Wall Street Journal

WP, The Washington Post

Ynet, Ynet News

Zaman

Arab-Israeli Conflict

See also Turkey

July 22:

New documents released by the US State Department's history division indicated that during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the US believed that Israel had the capability to produce "small numbers" of nuclear weapons. The belief was evidenced in a conversation between then-US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, then-US President Richard Nixon, and congressional leaders. The report provided facts that indicated that an Israeli nuclear weapons arsenal did exist, a claim that Israel historically denied. [Haaretz, 7/22]

July 26:

The Hamas government in Gaza executed a Palestinian father and his son who allegedly confessed to helping Israeli forces locate Palestinians, including Hamas' chief Abdel-Aziz al-Rantisi who was killed in 2004. The execution took place despite opposition from Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud 'Abbas who had the final word when it came to carrying out such sentences. The PA and Hamas signed a power-sharing deal in Cairo in May but its provisions had yet to be agreed upon. [Haaretz, 7/26]

Aug. 3:

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed to negotiate based on the 1967 borders, partially to dissuade Palestinian President Mahmud 'Abbas' bid for UN recognition of Palestinian statehood. Palestinians had refused to return to the negotiating table unless the issue of settlements and borders was discussed; Netanyahu demanded no preconditions for negotiation. [AP, 8/3]

Aug. 11:

Israel's Interior Minister approved the construction of 1,600 new housing units to be built in East Jerusalem. Four days later, the Ministry approved 277 homes to be built in Ariel, one of the largest West Bank settlements that Israel intended to keep in a future peace deal. [Haaretz, 8/11]

Aug. 12:

Based on the recommendations of the Israel Security Agency, Israel placed restraining orders on 12 Israeli West Bank settlers accused of setting fire to Palestinian mosques and other private property. Most of the restraining orders limited the settlers' movements in the West Bank, while three individuals were prevented from going to the West Bank at all. [AFP, 8/12]

Aug. 23:

The Israeli Supreme Court upheld a decision to continue construction of the separation barrier that would partition the Palestinian village al-Walaja. The barrier's planned route cut off al-Walaja residents from their lands, their primary means of livelihood. The barrier was deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004. [AFP, 8/23]

Sept. 14:

Around 70 activists, including retired Jordanian generals, protested outside the US Embassy in Amman and burned US and Israeli flags. They demanded the closure of the US Embassy over WikiLeaks revelations suggesting that a US diplomat had covert plans to turn Jordan into a Palestinian homeland. The period witnessed rising tensions between Jordanians of Palestinian origin and the area's original inhabitants, known as East Bankers. [AP, 9/14]

Sept. 21:

After a series of tense exchanges of fire and rockets between Israel and Hamas, Israel arrested over 120 Hamas members in the West Bank. Among those arrested was Hamas Parliament member Mohammed Motlaq Abu J'heisha. The escalation occurred after eight Israelis were killed on August 18 near Eilat, with subsequent strikes killing 15 Gazans and one Israeli. [GN, 9/21]

Sept. 23:

PA President Mahmud 'Abbas submitted a formal request to the UN for recognition of Palestinian statehood. The US previously stated that it would veto the request, which would prevent the measure's approval. Hamas did not support the...