CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS- 1996-1997

1996
18 June	Prime Minister Netanyahu presents his government to the Knesset and wins approval by a vote of 62 to 50.
26 June	Three IDF soldiers are killed and two wounded in an ambush near Naaran in the Jordan Valley.
2 July	Israeli jets bomb a base of Abu Moussas Palestine National Liberation Movement in Lebanon.
3 July	Israel eases the closure on the territories.
9 July	Prime Minister Netanyahu holds talks in Washington with President Clinton.
10 July	Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses the U.S. Congress, saying Israel will gradually ease its dependence on U.S. economic aid.
21 July	The bodies of two IDF soldiers missing since the 1982 war in Lebanon are returned to Israel. Israel and the SLA release 45 Hizbullah prisoners and return the bodies of 123 terrorists killed by the IDF over the years.
23 July	French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette meets Palestinian officials in Jerusalem. Israel further eases the closure on the territories. Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy holds talks with PA Chairman Arafat, the first member of the Netanyahu government to do so. Eleven Palestinians are arrested attempting to smuggle arms across the Dead Sea.
26 July	Two Israeli civilians are killed in an ambush near Beit Shemesh. President Clinton denies clemency to Jonathan Pollard.
2 August	The cabinet decides to terminate the freeze on construction in Judea-Samaria and Gaza placed by the previous government.
6 August	An IDF soldier is killed in southern Lebanon by Hizbullah shelling.
8 August	The five-nation committee monitoring the Israel-Hizbullah cease-fire in Lebanon holds its first meeting in Naqura.
11 August	Oman opens a trade office in Tel Aviv, becoming the seventh Arab state to have an official presence in Israel. IDF soldiers kill three Hizbullah terrorists in the southern Lebanon security zone.
14 August	Talks between Israel and the PA resume after eight months suspension.
19 August	Palestinian police fire on an Israeli Arab near Tulkarm in area C.
20 August	In a test, an Arrow 2 missile successfully intercepts and destroys a target missile.
21 August	Israel shuts down two offices of Arafats Force 17 militia in El Izariyah near Jerusalem, citing violation of the Oslo Accords.
25 August	PA officials tell Israel that they have shut down three affiliated offices in East Jerusalem.
28 August	An Israeli bus is attacked on the Hebron bypass road, two passengers are wounded. Arafat calls for non-violent protests against Israel.
29 August	An IDF soldier is killed in southern Lebanon.
1 September	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy meets President Mubarak and Foreign Minister Amr Moussa in Alexandria.
2 September	It is revealed that secret contacts have been taking place between Israeli officials and PA leaders since mid-August under the auspices of Terje Larsen of Norway. Egypt threatens to cancel the November regional economic summit in Cairo if no agreement on a Hebron timetable is achieved.
4 September	Netanyahu and Arafat meet for the first time at Erez Checkpoint. Both reiterate their commitment to implementing the 1995 Interim Agreement.
5 September	Speaking to the Likud Central Committee, Netanyahu vows to oppose the creation of a Palestinian state.
8 September	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy holds talks in London.
9 September	Israel and Jordan agree to open consulates in Aqaba and in Eilat. Israel and the PA Steering Committee meet in Jericho for the first time since June and agree to renew work of its civil, economic and security sub-committees. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Clinton meet in London.
14 September	IDF monitors Syrian troop movement in Lebanon.
15 September	Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo warn Israel they would freeze ties if no progress is achieved in the peace process. They call on Qatar, Oman, Tunisia and Morocco to re-examine their ties with Israel.
18 September	Defense Minister Mordechai and PA Chairman Arafat meet at Erez Checkpoint. The Civil Administration approves plans for the building of 3000 homes in Judea and Samaria.
16-19 September	U.S. Coordinator Dennis Ross holds talks in the region.
21 September	President Mubarak accuses Prime Minister Netanyahu of failing to keep his promise to move on the Hebron accord.
22 September	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy complains to Egypts ambassador about hostile remarks by Egyptian leaders. Qatars Minister of Foreign Affairs says his country postponed its decision to open a trade office in Israel.
23 September	Israel opens a new exit to the Western Wall tunnel. Prime Minister Netanyahu announces this in London. This triggers off a wave of Palestinian violence in the areas and in Jerusalem.
23-27 September	In a wave of violence 14 Israelis and 56 Palestinians are killed in clashes. In a press conference Netanyahu accused the PA of instigating and organizing the disturbances. President Clinton hints at a Netanyahu-Arafat summit in Washington.
28 September	The UN Security Council adopts a resolution condemning Israel for opening the tunnel. The U.S. abstained in the vote, which was carried by 14-0.
29 September	Netanyahu and King Hussein accept a Clinton invitation for a five-party summit in Washington. Netanyahu says Israel wants to speed up the pace of the peace talks.
30 September	EU foreign ministers call on Netanyahu to accede to Palestinian demands in Washington.
1-2 October	Clinton holds bilateral talks with Netanyahu, Arafat and King Hussein.
6-7 October	Secretary of State Christopher visits Israel. Israel and the PA resume negotiations at Erez Checkpoint.
8 October	President Weizman hosts Yasser Arafat at his Caesarea home.
13 October	Israel raises the number of Palestinian workers in Israel to 35,000 from 14,000.
14 October	President Weizman visits Cairo for a meeting with President Mubarak.
15 October	King Hussein holds talks with Arafat in Jericho.
21-22	October President Chirac visits Israel.
25 October	The cabinet issues a list of 10 major Palestinian violations of the Oslo Accords.
28 October	The European Union nominates Ambassador Miguel Angel Moratinos as its special envoy to the Middle East.
31 October	Visit to Israel of Foreign Minister Primakov of the Russian Federation.
3 November	Visit to Israel of Britains Foreign Secretary Rifkind.
6 November	Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Druze working in an Israeli-Egyptian plant in Cairo, is arrested and charged with spying for Israel. President Weizman holds talks in Amman with King Hussein.
7 November	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy meets President Mubarak in Cairo.
12-14 November	The Third Middle East/North Africa Economic Conference is held in Cairo. Israel is represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy, Minister of Finance Meridor and Minister of Industry and Trade Sharansky.
19-20 November	Donor states to the PA meet in Paris.
2 December	Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses the Conference of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe held in Lisbon.
8 December	The U.S. and Egypt draft a document to serve as a basis for a Hebron Agreement.
9 December	In a phone conversation, Prime Minister Netanyahu asks President Mubarak to influence the PA to break the deadlock in the Hebrontalks.
11 December	Two Israeli civilians are killed by terrorists near Ramallah.
13 December	The Government reinstates financial subsidies to all settlements in the territories.
19 December	Secretary of State Christopher announces the dispatch of Dennis Ross to the region. He holds talks in Jerusalem, Gaza and Cairo. Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy meets in Amman with King Hussein.
24 December	Prime Minister Netanyahu and Arafat hold talks in Erez. Minister of Defense Mordechai meets President Mubarak in Hurghada on the Red Sea.
29 December	Minister of Defense Mordechai meets with Arafat in Erez.
30 December	Dennis Ross visits the region again.

1997
5 January	Netanyahu and Arafat meet again in Erez.
12 January	King Hussein visits Gaza and Tel Aviv for talks with Arafat and Netanyahu.
15 January	After a Netanyahu-Arafat meeting, the Hebron Protocol is initialed at 2 A.M. by Dan Shomron and Saeb Erekat.
16 January	The Knesset approves the Hebron Protocol by 87 to 17 (one abstention). The IDF completes its redeployment in Hebron.
31 January	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy meets President Chirac in Paris.
2 February	Prime Minister Netanyahu attends an international economic summit in Davos, meets with Arafat. They agree to meet again in Erez on 6 February.
11 February	Israel releases 30 Palestinian women prisoners. Visit to Israel of French Defense Minister Millon.
13 February	Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Clinton meet in the White House.
16 February	Chinese Vice Premier Li Langquing visits Israel.
23 February	Prime Minister Netanyahu meets King Hussein in Amman.
26 February	Ministerial Committee on Jerusalem approves construction in Har Homa.
25-26 February	President Weizman pays a state visit to the United Kingdom.
27 February	Turkish Chief of Staff Karadayi visits Israel.
13 March	Seven Israeli school girls are killed in Naharayim by a Jordanian soldier. The UN Security Council condemns Israel for its decision to build in Har Homa.
16 March	King Hussein pays a condolence call on the families of the Israeli girls slain in Naharayim. Later he holds talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
20 March	A suicide bomber blows himself up in a Tel Aviv cafe, killing three Israeli women and wounding 50.
1 April	An Arab League meeting calls on the Arab states to freeze ties with Israel.
7 April	Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with President Clinton in the White House.
15 April	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy participates in the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Foreign Ministers in Malta.
30 April	Turkish Defense Minister Tayan visits Israel.
27 May	Israel and Jordan sign a water agreement.
16 July	Minister of Defense Mordechai meets PA Coordinator Nabil Shaath.
20 July	The Director of Japans Defense Agency Kyuma visits Israel.
27 July	The Government decides to delay construction and settlement in Ras al Amud in Jerusalem.
30 July	Fourteen Israelis are killed in a suicide bomb attack in the Jerusalem Mahane Yehuda market.
21 August	Israel and Croatia establish diplomatic relations.
4 September	An Israeli sea-borne operation against Hizbullah in Lebanon fails. Eleven Israeli soldiers are killed.
10 September	Secretary of State Albright visits Israel.
24 September	An Israeli attempt to assassinate a top Hamas official in Amman fails. Israel releases Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in return for its agents.
6 October	Minister of Foreign Affairs Levy holds talks in Washington with PA Deputy Chairman Abu Mazen in an effort to revive the peace process.
10 November	Israel and the Holy See sign a Legal Personality Agreement.
16 November	Israel and Jordan sign an agreement on Irbid Industrial Zone.
16-18 November	Prime Minister Netanyahu visits the United States
18 November	Prime Minister Netanyahu meets King Hussein in London.
3 December	Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Possavalyuk visits Israel.
22 December	Chinas Foreign Minister Qian Quichen visits Israel.