Washington Report, August 27, 1984, Page 6

Facts For Your Files: A Chronology of U.S.-Middle East Relations

August 9:

The Democratic National Committee, under increasing pressure to go on the record in opposition to anti-Semitism, adopted a resolution stating: "The Democratic Party takes this opportunity to reaffirm its adherence to pluralistic principles and to repudiate and completely disassociate itself from people who perform all forms of bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism." The momentum for such a statement grew largely in response to disparaging remarks on Judaism made by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

August 13:

The U.S. voted against a resolution introduced at the U.N.'s International Conference on Population which criticized Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The resolution—which declared that the "establishment of settlements in territories occupied by force is illegal and condemned by the international community"—garnered 83 votes of approval and 15 abstentions. Israel and the U.S. cast the only negative votes.

August 13:

The Reagan Administration stepped up its efforts to locate suspected mines in the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez by dispatching three additional minesweeping helicopters to Saudi Arabia. The three RII-53D Sea Stallions were requested by the Saudis to search around the Kingdom's major ports on the Red Sea. Four other Sea Stallion helicopters were ordered to the region about one week earlier to assist Egyptian search efforts in the Gulf of Suez.

August 14:

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations released a letter it had received from Secretary of State George Shultz, in which Mr. Shultz stated there was no change in U.S. policy toward Syria. The Jewish umbrella organization had been seeking this reassurance since a remark made last month by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy that Syria was being "helpful" in Lebanon.

August 14:

State Department spokesman Alan Romberg announced that a "review process" had begun on whether to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was elected to the Israeli parliament in July and sworn in August 13. U.S. laws state that American nationals serving in a foreign government may lose their citizenship.

August 17:

Four helicopters from the USS Shreveport flew their first mission in the Gulf of Suez in search of mines which are thought to be the cause of 22 underwater explosions in the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea since early July—19 of these resulting in damage to commercial ships. British and French minesweepers also are taking part in the search.

August 21:

Republican Party delegates in Dallas approved a platform which contained a statement in opposition to racism and anti-Semitism similar to that adopted by the Democrats on August 9. It reads: "The Republican Party reaffirms its support of the pluralism and freedom that have been part and parcel of this great country. In so doing, it repudiates and completely disassociates itself from people, organizations, publications and those entities which promulgate the practice of any formof bigotry, racism, anti-Semitism or religious intolerance." For additional excerpts from the platform, see box below.