January 26
The military government issues orders prohibiting building in the Bethlehem and Jenin areas near roads that surround army bases and settlements.
April 29
Following criticism by the High Court of Justice regarding enforcement of the law on settlers in the Occupied Territories, the Justice Ministry establishes a committee headed by Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp. Its purpose is “to guarantee, to the extent possible, that suspected cases of offenses committed by Israelis in Judea and Samaria against Arab residents of the area are investigated swiftly, substantively, and efficiently.” The committee’s conclusions, which will be published in 1984, are unequivocal: The police are not fulfilling their commitment to the High Court to prevent, to the extent possible, illegal acts by settlers. The committee states that the number of files closed on grounds of “offender unknown” is greater than is customary, that police officers are lenient toward settlers who do not cooperate when being investigated, and that in some files, it appears that no action was taken to locate the offenders.
November
The Civil Administration is established. Its official purpose is to implement the “autonomy for residents” plan that Israel committed to in the framework of the peace agreement with Egypt. The coordinator of government activities in the Occupied Territories is from now on subordinate to the IDF chief of staff, rather than to the defense minister, and the involvement of army commanders in the daily decisions relating to the lives of the local population increases.
November
A two-week strike occurs by professionals in Gaza against new taxes imposed by the military government. In response, Israel imposes fines, arrests professionals, and closes shops and pharmacies.
November
The Bir Zeit Solidarity Committee is founded. It provides one of the first frameworks for cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians other than by anti-Zionist groups.