United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, a plan to resolve the Arab-Jewish conflict in the British Mandate of Palestine, was approved by the United Nations General Assembly, in UN Resolution 181. The plan partitioned the territory into Jewish and Arab states, with the Greater Jerusalem area (encompassing Bethlehem) coming under international control. The failure of this plan led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Following the Six Day War, the Israel unity government declares that it was ready to return the Golan Heights to Syria, Sinai to Egypt and most of the West Bank to Jordan, in return for peace treaties with its Arab neighbours, normalisation of relations and guarantee of navigation through the Straits of Tiran.

Following the war, eight Arab heads of state attended an Arab summit conference in Khartoum, Sudan. It formulated the Arab consensus that underlay the official policies of most Arab states for the next two decades and beyond, with the exception of Egypt: "no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it."

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, with the help of President Jimmy Carter, agree at Camp David to a framework for peace in the Middle East which offers limited autonomy to Palestinians in occupied territories and sets the framework for an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.

Israel and Egypt sign a bilateral peace treaty in Washington under which Israel agrees to hand back Sinai to Egypt. It keeps the Gaza Strip. Arab states impose boycott on Egypt.

Israel completes withdrawal of forces and civilians from Sinai.

President Reagan announces US initiative to settle Arab-Israeli conflict, based on earlier Camp David Accords and UN Resolution 242.

Israel-Lebanon peace and withdrawal agreement signed, mediated by Secretary of State Shultz and Ambassador Philip Habib.

Lebanon abrogates Lebanese-Israeli agreement.

Israel completes withdrawal from most of Lebanon, retaining effective control over 12-mile-wide "security zone" in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres launches peace initiative centred on Jordan which includes proposal for an international conference; the United States encourages Israeli, Egyptian, and Jordanian diplomatic efforts; Yitzhak Shamir and Likud party oppose conference.

Secretary of State Shultz, in a letter to Prime Minister Shamir, launches shuttle mediation effort, sets a timetable for talks on transitional arrangements and a permanent solution in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The proposal calls for bilateral Arab-Israeli talks following an international conference. It fails to gain support from all parties.

King Hussein surrenders Jordan's claim to the West Bank, cuts legal and administrative ties.

Palestine National Council accepts original UN partition plan (UN General Assembly Resolution 181), Israel's right to exist, and UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and renounces terrorism. The US opens dialogue with the PLO, the first formal contacts with the PLO in 13 years. The PLO charter is not revised, however. The dialogue lasts two years.

President Bush says that Gulf War victory opens "window of opportunity" for resolution of Arab-Israeli conflict. Secretary of State Baker travels to Middle East on first of eight peace missions.

Secretary of State Baker, at a news conference in Jerusalem, says President Bush and Soviet President Gorbachev are inviting Israel, the Arab states, and the Palestinians to attend a Middle East peace conference to be held beginning October 30 in Madrid. Baker says the conference is to be followed by "direct negotiations to achieve real peace."

Opening the Madrid conference, President Bush says the objective is "to achieve "real peace...security, diplomatic relations, economic relations, trade, investment, cultural exchange, even tourism. We seek a Middle East, where vast resources are no longer devoted to armaments." Outsiders can assist, he says, "but in the end, it is up to the peoples and the governments of the Middle East to shape the future of the Middle East."

Palestinians, in a joint delegation with Jordan, attend the Madrid talks between Jordan, Syria, Israel and Lebanon. Direct bilateral talks begin among Israel and Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and participants from the occupied territories. Multilateral negotiations begin on arms control, security, water, refugees, the environment and economic development.

Secretary of State Baker in remarks closing the Madrid conference says a breakthrough was achieved with the start of "direct bilateral negotiations." Baker and conference co-sponsor Soviet Foreign Minister Pankin call for direct bilateral negotiations to start immediately.

Direct bilateral negotiations between Israel and separate delegations from Syria and Lebanon proceed; Israeli and Lebanese delegations characterise two sessions of talks as "substantive"; but negotiations have not begun between Israel and a joint Palestinian delegation.

The United States hails as another "step forward" when Israeli and Jordanian/Palestinian delegates resolve procedural differences that allow the third round of talks to resume. Israeli representatives meet separately with Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian/Palestinian delegations.

PLO says it has reached provisional agreement in secret talks with Israel on partial autonomy in occupied territories.

Eleventh round opens with the Israelis announcement on secret talks with PLO in Oslo and an initiated accord on self-rule for Palestinians in Gaza Strip and Jericho.

Israel and the PLO agree to recognise each other after 45 years of conflict, building on a pact already initialed on Palestinian self-rule in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip and in Jericho. PLO leader Yasser Arafat signs a letter recognising Israel and renouncing violence.

Chairman Arafat sends a letter to Prime Minister Rabin. Arafat's letter is hand-carried to Israel by Norwegian Foreign Minister Johan Joergen Holst, whose country brokered the PLO-Israel pact. In the letter Arafat stated unequivocally that the PLO:

• Recognizes the right of Israel to exist in peace and security;
• Accepts UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338;
• Commits itself to a peaceful resolution of the conflict;
• Renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence;
• Assumes responsibility over all PLO elements o ensure their compliance, prevent violations, and discipline violators;
• Affirms that those articles of the PLO Covenant which deny Israel's right to exist are now inoperative and no longer valid;
• Undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes to the Covenant.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat meet and watch Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO Executive Council Member Abu Abbas sign the agreement. President Bill Clinton, former presidents George Bush and Jimmy Carter, and 3,000 dignitaries witness the signing - on the same desk used in the signing of the Camp David accords 15 years earlier.

The Israel-Jordan Common Agenda is agreed in Washington, DC, marking the end of the state of war between the two nations and paving the way for talks leading to a formal peace treaty.

At a ceremony in Cairo, Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat sign the Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area. The new agreement sets out terms for implementation of the Declaration of Principles and includes annexes on withdrawal of Israeli military forces and security arrangements, civil affairs, legal matters, and economic relations.

The Washington Declaration, embracing the underlying principles of the Israel-Jordan Common Agenda, is signed in Washington, DC.

The Agreement on the Preparatory Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities is signed at Erez, a checkpoint between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The expansion of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank over education, taxation, social welfare, tourism, and health was completed by December 1994.

The Treaty of Peace between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which had been initiated on 17 October by Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Jordanian Prime Minister Majali, is signed at the White House. President Clinton's participation in the signing ceremony underscores the US commitment to the peace process.

Secretary of State Christopher announces that Israel and Syria have reached a set of understandings on security arrangements.

The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is signed in Washington, DC. The agreement contains 31 articles and seven annexes (redeployment and security, elections, civil affairs, legal matters, economic relations, cooperation programs, and prisoner release). Following the signing, President Clinton hosts a summit attended by King Hussein, President Mubarak, Prime Minister Rabin, and Chairman Arafat. The leaders review progress toward a comprehensive peace and ways to reinforce and accelerate that progress.

President Clinton meets separately with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat in Washington in an attempt to reenergise the peace process.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat meet at the White House with President Clinton, who announces that Secretary Albright will return to the region for a further push to get direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations back on track.

President Clinton, Secretary Albright and other U.S. officials broker intensive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority at the Wye River Conference Centre on Maryland's Eastern Shore. A final, all-night session results in agreement upon the Wye River Memorandum, which is signed at the White House on 23 October.

President Clinton visits the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Following an historic address to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Gaza, the President witnesses a PLC vote "fully and forever" rejecting conflict with Israel and revoking articles of the Palestinian Charter calling for the destruction of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak visits the US for the first time since taking office 6 July. He and President Clinton pledge to make peace a top priority. PM Barak also meets in Washington with Secretary of State Albright, Secretary of Defence Cohen and other U.S. officials.

Representatives of regional and international parties, led by Secretary of State Albright, gather in New York as Partners in Peace to demonstrate their strong and unwavering support for the Middle East Peace Process.

Delegations from Israel and Syria, led by PM Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Al-Shara, gather in Shepherdstown, West Virginia for a week of talks.

Delegations from Israel and Syria, led by PM Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Al-Shara, gather in Shepherdstown, West Virginia for a further week of talks. Differences remain, and Secretary Albright announces the postponement of a third round of talks.

Palestinian-Israeli talks commence at Bolling Air Force Base near Washington, DC and last one week. The U.S. facilitates discussion of permanent status issues in an effort to help the parties reach a comprehensive agreement by September 13, 2000.

Israel completes the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425.

President Clinton hosts meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leadership to address the most difficult of final status issues, including Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.

PA Chairman Arafat and Israeli PM Barak attend meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt arranged by President Clinton and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss a ceasefire and pullback of Israeli forces.

The Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, chaired by former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell, issues its final report on how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might be solved. The report calls for an immediate ceasefire, a renunciation of terrorism and a resumption of peace talks, as well as a freeze on construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

President Bush supports a Saudi proposal to normalise Arab relations with Israel in exchange for withdrawal to its 1967 borders. The proposal first appeared February 17, 2002, in "The New York Times."

The United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 1397, endorsing a "vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognised borders." The resolution, introduced by the United States, is the first Security Council resolution to refer to Palestinian statehood.

The Arab League, meeting in Beirut, adopts the proposal of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah endorsing a peaceful two-state settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The European Union, United States, United Nations and Russia announce plans to arrange for the distribution of humanitarian aid and establish more effective security arrangements in the region.

President Bush, speaking from the White House, calls for new Palestinian leadership and pledges that, "when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions, and new security arrangements with their neighbours, the United States of America will support the creation of a Palestinian state whose borders and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional until resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East." Bush also calls for an end to terrorism, increased humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, and the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab World.

President Bush meets with Jordan's King Abdullah in Washington. Bush also met briefly with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who was at the White House for discussion with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

President Bush, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, underscored his commitment to the establishment of an independent and democratic Palestinian state "living side by side with Israel in peace and security."

President Bush signs the Foreign Affairs Authorisation Act for fiscal year 2003 and maintains that the status of Jerusalem must be negotiated by the Israelis and Palestinians.

The Roadmap to a permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is released. The road map sets forth a sequence of steps toward the goals outlined by President Bush during his 24 June 2002 speech.

Red Sea Summit held in Aqaba, Jordan.

President Bush sends a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon welcoming Israel's plan to withdraw settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank and reaffirming the United States' commitment to the road map.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - also known as Abu Mazen - agree to a ceasefire at the summit at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The summit, which was hosted by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II, is the first high-level meeting between Palestinian and Israeli leaders in over four years.

Members of the Quartet - the United Nations, Russia, the European Union and the United States - convene in London for the Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority. The Quartet calls for continued financial support from the international community and encourages preparations for a future pledging conference.

Israel carried out the disengagement plan of prime minister Ariel Sharon, unilaterally withdrawing from the Gaza strip and the northern West Bank.

The 31^st Government of Israel declares it will "strive to shape the permanent borders of the State of Israel as a Jewish state, with a Jewish majority, and as a democratic state, and will act to achieve this through negotiations and agreement with the Palestinians."

In the memorial ceremony for Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterates his government's commitment to a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.