English/Nat

Palestinian leaders attacked on Thursday a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dividing control of the West Bank.

Yasser Arafat said the Israeli plan, unveiled Wednesday, flies in the face of the Oslo peace agreement.

At the Aram Checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank - security is tight.

This checkpoint and the Alon Road is one section of the border between Israeli and Palestinian territory.

Currently the Palestinians have control over 40 per cent of the West Bank - Israel occupied this land during the 1967 Six Day War.

As formally agreed between Yasser Arafat and then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1993 - the two sides would negotiate over the so called "final status" of the region by 1999.

Palestinians want total control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to create a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On Wednesday - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved to bypass the final status negotiations - presenting a plan to his cabinet on how the region should be divided.

The media has dubbed it the "The Alon Plus Plan" - comparing it with a proposal given to the Israeli government in 1968 by then Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Alon.

Under Netanyahu's blueprint - Israel would retain West Bank land surrounding Jerusalem, including the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim east of the city.

It would also annex the Jordan Valley and large settlement blocs, including Gush Etzion south of Jerusalem.

Israel would also seek to retain control over major West Bank roads and over water sources.

If implemented, the plan would leave the Palestinians with disconnected patches of land that would make it very difficult to establish a state.

But spokesman for Netanyahu, David Bar Illan, says the plan represents a major concession from Netanyahu's right wing Likud party.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This Alon Plus plan represents a tremendous adjustment of expectations on the part of the Likud party - the dominant party in the ruling coalition today. Because for the first time in its history, it admits that there will be another entity between Jordan and the sea - something that it was not willing to admit before."

SUPER CAPTION: David Bar Illan, Netanyahu's spokesman

But for Palestinians - the plan is totally unacceptable.

They view Israel's control of parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal - part of the 1967 occupation that is thwarting their dream of a Palestinian State.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"For me as a Palestinian it is very difficult to understand this because we are occupied territory - all of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and it must be Palestine there. And as a Palestinian we refute this thing - all of it."

SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop

Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority, says the plan goes against the 1993 Oslo agreement.

Under that agreement - control of disputed territories must be negotiated - not stipulated by any one side.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This is completely against the peace process and against the agreements."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, President of Palestinian Authority

Netanyahu's plan comes more than two months after talks between the two sides broke down when Israel began constructing Jewish settlements in disputed East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza - June 5, 1997

Jerusalem and West Bank border:

1. Various of Aram Checkpoint near Jerusalem and West Bank

2. Various of Alon Road - border of West Bank and Jerusalem

3. Pan of Alon Road

Jerusalem

4. Mid Shot of David Bar Illan

5. David Bar Illan, Israeli PM Netanyahu's spokesman

6. Various of map of Israel and West Bank

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop

Gaza:

8. Pan of Yasser Arafat at military parade

9. Mid shot Palestinian Flag - pan to Arafat

10. Various of Arafat walking up red carpet

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Yasser Arafat, President of Palestinian Authority

12. Arafat walks away

Hebrew/Eng/Nat

The ruling Likud party in Israel has begun building more Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

And it has now announced the plan to construct new roads in the areas, prompting condemnation from Palestinians and left wing Israelis.

In the first indication of the new Israeli government's settlement policies, hard-line Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon ordered two new highways to be built in the West bank.

The plan calls for one road leading from the West Bank into northern Jerusalem and a second linking central Israel with Jewish settlements inside the West Bank, where some 140-thousand Jews live among 1-point-2 million Palestinians.

The plan, expected to cost about 50 (m) million dollars (U-S), was originally proposed under the previous Labour government, but was never carried out.

SOUNDBITE: Hebrew

We are working according to plan. I know that yesterday everyone got nervous. I don't why they got nervous.

SUPER CAPTION: Ariel Sharon, Minister for Infrastructure

The move has angered Palestinians who want to establish a state in the West bank and Gaza. They say expanding settlements violates the Israel-PLO peace accords and could bring the precarious peace process to a grinding halt.

On Tuesday the Palestinian Legislative Council held a special session to discuss the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and around Jerusalem.

Palestinians predict violence and bloodshed.

SOUNDBITE:

When they are going to confiscate my future, my water, my land. What does this mean? It's a declaration of war and war means a bloodbath.

SUPER CAPTION: Freih Abu Medein, Palestinian Justice Minister.

Israel's past government curbed settlement construction, except around Jerusalem, in order to open the doors for peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

The Israel-PLO peace agreement says neither side will "initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," pending the outcome of final status talks.

The Palestinians say that rules out new settlement construction or expansion.

Peace Now, a group that supports the Middle East peace process, warned against the dangers of Israel building more settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

SOUNDBITE:

"There can be no doubt that the settlements have been always and

will be in the future an obstacle for any peace solution. The only solution that can exist between Israel and the Palestinians is to partition this land into two different sovereignties. The Palestinians will need a certain area where they will have their own sovereignty.

SUPER CAPTION: Mordechai Baron, Peace Now member

Sharon, a leader of the hardline right-wing faction in the governing Likud Party, oversaw a massive construction drive in the settlements when he was housing minister from 1990-1992.

Last year, as part of the Oslo peace accords and under the previous government, rural areas of the West Bank were passed to Palestinian control, while Israel maintained overall responsibility for security throughout most of the West Bank.

West Bank, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, 30th July 1996

Beit Jalah, West Bank

1. CU village/zoom out to GV construction of highway overpass

2. construction workers on road

3. bulldozers working on construction

4. by-pass road

Tel Aviv:

5. Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon at presser table

6. Minister Sharon showing new roads on map

7. Minister Sharon SOT (Hebrew)

Efrat, West Bank

8. various construction site

Bethlehem:

9. GV Manger Square, central Bethlehem

10. outside mosque

11. inside Palestinian Council meeting

12. various of members in meeting

13. laptop computer showing Jerusalem and area

14. Khalil Tufakji, Palestinian settlement expert, showing Israeli construction plans in the West Bank

15. GV Palestinian Council

16. SOUNDBITE: Freih Abu Modein, Minister of Justice

Jerusalem:

17. set up Mordechai Baron, Peace Now member

18. SOUNDBITE: Mordechai Baron

Efrat, West bank:

19. Israeli flag over settlement

20. construction

Arabic/Eng

For Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the dream of an independent Palestinian state draws ever closer.

He insists that such a state will be declared next May, a step which the Israelis caution him against taking.

As the deadline draws ever nearer, new evidence of Palestinian statehood -- from state postage stamps and licence plates to state ministries are becoming apparent.

Over the past four years, Palestinians have slowly built up a political entity that looks very much like a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Five years after he entered the historic process of compromise with Israel, the tired leader of Palestinian nationalism, Yasser Arafat, intends to reach his goal.

He is demanding an independent Palestinian state not just in words, but in reality.

Yasser Arafat, who has the title of president of the Palestinian Authority, is promising to make it official at midnight on May 4, 1999.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

'There will be no peace, no security, and stability only with the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem its capital, whether they like or not, whether they like it or not, whether they like it or not.'

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

There is already a 30-thousand-member police force in training and patrolling the border lines with Israel and the streets of the Palestinian self-rule areas.

A Palestinian passport has been issued and Israeli licence plates have been replaced with Palestinian ones.

There are also now Palestinian stamps.

But Israel has already hinted that if the Palestinians declare statehood on their own, it might annex large tracts in the West Bank, where the Palestinians govern only 27 percent of the land.

Israeli Prime Minister top advisor David Bar Illan says Israel will retaliate if the Palestinians declare their own state.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

'It must be clearly understood that once the Palestinian scuttle the agreement by declaring a state, Israel will have to protect itself from the consequences of such acts and it will have to take unilateral actions to afford itself this kind of protection.'

SUPER CAPTION: David Bar Illan, Netanyahu top aide to Benjamin Netanyahu

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has his own ministers that meet weekly and discuss Palestinian affairs.

The Palestinian flag already flies outside ornate Palestinian ministries in the West

Bank and Gaza Strip.

Some believe Arafat is using the statehood card to create a crisis in hopes of a diplomatic rescue from the United States.

Palestinian political analyst Ali Jirbawi believes that if Arafat can guarantee support from countries supportive of the peace process, he should go ahead and declare his independent state.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

'If we can secure recognition for the state from countries which are important in this peace process, like the United States of America then I think we shall go ahead and announce it.'

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian political analyst

Arafat, who expects more than 100 nations to recognise a Palestinian state, hopes international backing will hold Israel in check and prevent reprisals.

He has already begun his international campaign with an effort in the United Nations to upgrade the observer status the Palestinians have now.

Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Jericho, Jerusalem --1-5 July 1998 and file

Ramallah, West Bank, 4 July 1998

1. Various of streets in Ramallah

2. Palestinian policemen talking

3. People walking in street

Bethlehem, West Bank, 30 June 1998

4. Yasser Arafat laying corner stone for a new hotel

5. Arafat pounding on stone

Ramallah, West Bank, 1 July 1998

6. Arafat walking into Palestinian council

7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Palestinian chairman Yasser Arafat

Jericho, West Bank 17 May 1998

8. Palestinian police marching

9. Palestinian police graduation march

Gaza City 5 July 1998

10. Palestinian police officer talking on radio

11. Palestinian policemen in car patrol

12. Palestinian policeman directing traffic

13. An application for a Palestinian passport

14. Picture on computer screen for passport application, pan to passport being printed

15. Palestinian passport coming out of printer

Hebron, West Bank 3 July 1998

17. Palestinian removes Israeli licence plate off car

18. Palestinian plate being printed

19. Cover being peeled off plate

20. Close shot Post Office sign

21. Palestinian woman buying stamps

22. Close shot Palestinian stamp

23. Close shot woman writing address on letter

24. Stamp being stuck to letter

25. Woman putting letter in mail box

Jerusalem, 2 July 1998

26. Set-up shot of David Bar Illan, Netanyahu's adviser

27. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Bar Illan, Senior Aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu

Hebron, West Bank 4 July 1998

28. Arafat heading Palestinian cabinet

Gaza City, 5 July 1998

29. Exterior of Palestinian finance ministry

30. Sign of the Palestinian finance ministry

31. exterior of interior ministry

Ramallah, West Bank, 4 July 1998

32. Set-up shot Ali Jirbawi, Palestinian political expert

33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ali Jirbawi, Palestinian political expert

Hebron, West Bank, File 19 January 1997

34. Arafat waving to crowd

35. Thousands of Palestinian cheering Arafat

36. Arafat giving the victory sign to crowd

Natural Sound

The President of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, has strongly criticised Israeli plans to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

His comments came in an address to the Palestinian Legislative Council in the West Bank town of Ramallah Wednesday.

In Nablus, thousands of supporters from the Islamic Fundamentalist group Hamas held a rally in memory of the Palestinians killed in riots this September.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, meeting World Bank officials in Paris, said despite the setbacks, his people are still committed to a peaceful solution in the Middle East.

Supporters of the fundamentalist group of Hamas, held a memorial rally in the West Bank city of Nablus Wednesday, to commemorate the death of more than 60 Palestinian killed by Israeli soldier during riots in September.

15 Israeli soldiers were also killed.

Hundreds of supporters some chanting Allahu Akbar and some waving Hamas flags turned out for the rally at An-Najah University.

Masked members of Hamas marched through the throng of people carrying an assortment of weapons. Some members of the fundamentalist Islamic group wrapped themselves in white robes -- symbolic death shrouds.

The President of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, also arrived Wednesday in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

A ceremonial guard of honour stood to attention outside the Palestinian Legislative Council, where Haensch was greeted by the head of the Council, Ahmed Quriea.

After talks between the two men, Haensch addressed the 88-member council.

In his speech, he strongly criticised the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, describing them as illegal.

Haensch also expressed support for the concept of Palestinian statehood, but said Palestinians must be patient with the faltering peace talks with Israel.

The E-U is the main source of financial support for the Palestinian autonomous government, providing more than seven (m) million U-S dollars in aid since 1993.

Meanwhile, in Paris, the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met World Bank officials, seeking financial support for his battered economy.

The economic situation of Palestinians has worsened in the past year after the closure of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank last February - unemployment has risen from 11 to 23 percent.

To ease the Palestinian woes, donor nations pledged more than 845 (m) million dollars.

The money, to be released in 1997 will be used to create jobs, rebuild the Palestinian territories' roads and utilities.

Arafat reiterated his commitment to the peace process in the Middle East.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"In spite of all these difficulties we are committed to the peace process, and we will continue to be committed to the peace process."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

Earlier in the day Arafat met with the French Premier Alain Juppe and thanked France for its continued support in the peace negotiations.

Nablus and Ramallah, West Bank, and Paris, France - 20 November 1996

Nablus, West Bank:

1. Wide shot of rally at An-Najah University

2. Mid shot of rally

3. Wide shot of rally with people carrying a line of flags

4. Mid shot of drummers

5. High shot of people gathered at rally

6. Close-up of crowd

7. Mid shot of banner

8. Various shot of Hamas members with their heads covered

9. Various shots of members carrying guns

10. Mid shot of children waving flags

11. Mid shot of women and children in crowd

12. Close-up of covered Hamas men holding guns

Ramallah, West Bank:

7. Exterior of Palestinian Legislative Council

8. High shot of Palestinian soldiers lined up

9. Wide shot of European Parliament speaker Klaus Haensch convoy arriving

10. Haensch met by Head of Palestinian Legislative Council Ahmed Quriea

11. Wide shot of Haensch and Ahmed Quriea

12. Mid shot of Haensch

13. Mid shot of Ahmed Quriea

14. Close up of Haensch and Ahmed Quriea

15. Haensch and Ahmed Quriea enter the council

16. Wide shot of Palestinian members of the council

17. Mid shot of Haensch and Ahmed Quriea on stage

18. Close up of Haensch

Paris, France:

19. Exterior of World Bank

20. Arafat entering conference hall

21. Wide shot conference hall

22. SOUNDBITE: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Leader

23. Wide pan of conference room

24. Arafat arrives to meet Juppe

25. Wide shot Arafat and Juppe

26. Mid shot of same

27. Wide shot exterior of Juppe's office

Hebrew/English/Nat

In a decisive step towards implementing the Israeli-P-L-O peace accords, the Israeli cabinet decided Wednesday that three Israeli army bases in the West Bank would soon be evacuated, Israel Radio reported.

More than a year has passed since the historic handshake between Israeli Prime-Minister, Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader, Yasser Arafat. Although high hopes were held for a final peace between the two enemies, in practice, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is already far behind schedule.

According to the Oslo Agreement, the two sides should now have entered the second phase, tackling issues such as extending Palestinian authority into other towns on the West Bank, the holding of Palestinian elections and the redeployment of Israeli Army troops.

By July last year the Israeli army was supposed to have been 're-deployed', meaning withdrawn from its positions in or close to Palestinian towns to bases more directly protective of the settlements; and the Palestinians should have held an election.

Despite suicide bombings and violence, both the Israelis and the Palestinians say the process should go ahead and focus is concentrated on the West Bank where Israeli troops are much in evidence.

The hope now is for an election this July but the continued presence of Israeli soldiers in West Bank towns is hampering efforts.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"Because it will not be a democratic election. Nobody can agree to have elections under the weapon of the occupation force. That is to say that the agreement is clear and obvious: redeployment and then elections."

SUPER CAPTION: Ahmed Tibi, Arafat advisor

The West Bank is home to more than 2 (m) million Palestinians and 141,000 Jewish settlers.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"Tens of settlements should be evacuated during the interim phase because it's a source of friction. Israelis and Palestinians are being killed and shot because of this friction."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr. Ahmed Tibi, Arafat advisor

Since the signing of the Oslo Agreement in September 1993, 20 settlers and four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the West Bank in attacks by Islamic fundamentalists. In January this year, a young settler, Ofra Felix, was killed by gunfire as she and a young child were returning to their home, the settlement of Halamish.

While the settlers' presence effectively means Israeli troops must be there to guard them, it is the same settlers who provide the opportunity for armed Palestinian militants to carry out attacks.

The resulting bloodshed then helps confirm Israeli hardliners' opposition to the whole principle of the peace deal.

In order to prevent further bloodshed, Israeli politicians have begun to consider evacuating some of the settlements.

Any move of this kind will be strongly resisted by extreme right-wing settlers based in towns such as Hebron.

In this West Bank town, a handful of extremist right-wing, religious Jews live behind barricaded doors asserting their religious birthright to dwell in what they claim to be part of the biblical land of Israel.

Settlers are in daily contact with local Palestinian residents but walk through the city heavily armed and usually with army escorts.

SOUNDBITE:

(Hebrew)

"The reality unfortunately is that what we'll see is terror attacks and clashes between Jews and Arabs doubled to what it is today."

SUPER CAPTION: Aharon Dombe, spokesperson for the settler movement, Yesha.

Settlement expansion has caused widespread reactions especially from the Palestinian Authority. Palestinians claim that the settlements are being built on land which they expect to get back as part of a final peace deal with Israel.

They also charge that Israel is creating facts on the ground to avoid relinquishing land once negotiations for a final settlement begin in 1996.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"We have been promised until June. Okay. June is not too far. We have given many chances and we will give a last chance."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, P-L-O Chairman

The 1993 agreement with the P-L-O permits settlers to remain in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank through a five-year interim period of autonomy. The government says that it won't hold back what it considers the natural growth of existing settlements, but that it won't build new settlements.

However, it says violence against Israelis in the territories must be curbed.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"I think there is a consensus in the government. That it's in our interests to speed up the negotiations and bring about elections in the territories. We want this but if this involves ceding territories to the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Authority

must prove by its actions that it takes more drastic steps to curb these murderous attacks against the lives of the Israeli people."

SUPER CAPTION: Amnon Rubenstein, Minister of Education

Although consensus seems to have been reached by both parties, it remains to be seen what will happen next.

(FILE: Hebron, West Bank)

1. Israeli soldiers walking in the streets

2. Various of Israeli soldiers in the streets

(Jerusalem, recent)

3. Dr. Ahmed Tibi at desk

4. SOUNDBITE: Dr. Ahmed Tibi, Arafat advisor

5. Cutaway of Palestinian flag flying (Flag is actually in Jenin, West Bank)

6. SOUNDBITE: Dr. Ahmed Tibi

(File: Attack near Halamish settlement - Jan 06 1995)

7. Car with broken windshield

8. Pull out from blood inside car

9. General shots of the funeral of Ofra Felix, mourners and funeral and march

10. Pull out from close shot of Arab village to wide shot of nearby settlement

11. Arab resident of village in field

12. General shots of settlements

(FILE; Hebron)

13. Israeli flag flying in settler compound in Hebron

14. Settlers walking past soldiers

15. Close shot of young settler children

16. Soldier guarding children

17. Palestinian woman walking past soldiers

18. General shots of Hebron market

19. Settler buying products at Hebron market

20. Soldiers in the market

21. Settlers walking in Hebron

(Jerusalem - April 24 1995)

22. SOUNDBITE: Aharon Dombe, spokesperson for settler movement Yesha

(FILE: Gaza City, Gaza Strip)

23. SOUNDBITE: Yasser Arafat, chairman of PLO

(FILE: Jerusalem)

24. SOUNDBITE: Amnon Rubenstein, Minister of Education

25. File aerial shot of new settlements around the greater Jerusalem area

English/Nat

Yasser's Arafat's vision of a Palestinian state has come a step closer.

That's after the U-N General Assembly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinians at the U-N to that of a virtual state - despite U-S opposition.

The U-S voted against the move and had argued that it would jeopardise efforts to restart the stalled Mid East peace talks.

Israel's prime minister says it wasn't a very important development, calling it a "minor correction" to the status of the Palestinians.

But in the Palestinian-controlled parts of the West Bank and Gaza there's plenty of evidence already of effective Palestinian statehood.

From postage stamps and licence plates to state ministries -- facts are being created on the ground. A-P-T-V takes a look.

Over the past four years, Palestinians have slowly built up a political entity that looks very much like a state in the parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip they control.

There are highly-visible trappings of statehood -- like the Palestinian police force.

.

There is already a 30-thousand-member police force in training and patrolling the border lines with Israel and the streets of the Palestinian self-rule areas.

And other less visible but no less important trappings -- like Palestinian passports.

.

A Palestinian passport has been issued.

And Israeli licence plates have been replaced with Palestinian ones.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Hanan Ashrawi welcomed Tuesday's U-N vote upgrading their status.

She called it an essential step on the path to peace in the region.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We hope that it will reach the stage of recognition of Palestinian statehood fully. We believe it will give us the opportunity to participate globally in order to contribute at the international arena and we believe it will also contribute to the peace process because we view Palestinian statehood and the recognition of Palestinian rights as an essential component, as an essential prerequisite for a just and lasting stable peace in the region."

SUPER CAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Cabinet Minister

Other signs of at least partial independence -- there are also now Palestinian stamps.

Such symbols of statehood are no doubt a boost to Palestinian morale.

But they don't address one of the main stumbling blocks between Israel and the Palestinians -- land.

Israel has already hinted that if the Palestinians declare statehood on their own, it might annex large tracts in the West Bank.

There the Palestinians govern only 27 percent of the land.

Hardly surprisingly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played down the U-N vote.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Well I'm satisfied that the Palestinian effort to upgrade their standing in the U-N to virtually to the state, the status of a state did not succeed and in fact what they achieved are minor corrections to their current status."

SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

But whatever Netanyahu may say, those Palestinian symbols at least hint the opposite.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has his own ministers that meet weekly.

The Palestinian flag already flies outside ornate Palestinian ministries in the West

Bank and Gaza Strip.

Yasser Arafat's P-L-O was granted observer status in the U-N General Assembly in 1974.

That was upgraded in 1988 when the General Assembly decided to designate the P-L-O as "Palestine."

And now the latest move up the ladder of international recognition must give Arafat some hope of achieving his dream of full statehood.

Ramallah, Hebron, Gaza City, Gaza, Jericho and Jerusalem, 07th July 1998, recent and file

Jericho, West Bank 17 May 1998

1. Palestinian police marching

2. Palestinian police graduation march

Gaza City 5 July 1998

3. Palestinian police officer talking on radio

4. Palestinian policemen in car patrol

5. Palestinian policeman directing traffic

6. An application for a Palestinian passport

7. Picture on computer screen for passport application, pan to passport being printed

Ramallah, West Bank, 7 July 1998

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Cabinet Minister

Hebron, West Bank 3 July 1998

9. Palestinian removes Israeli licence plate off car

10. Palestinian plate being printed

11. Cover being peeled off plate

12. Close shot Post Office sign

13. Palestinian woman buying stamps

14. Close shot Palestinian stamp

15. Close shot woman writing address on letter

16. Stamp being stuck to letter

18. Woman putting letter in mail box

Jerusalem, 7 July 1998

19. Set-up shot of Netanyahu

20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli

Hebron, West Bank 4 July 1998

21. Arafat heading Palestinian cabinet

Gaza City, 5 July 1998

22. Exterior of Palestinian finance ministry

23. Sign of the Palestinian finance ministry

24. exterior of interior ministry

Hebron, West Bank, File 19 January 1997

25. Arafat waving to crowd

26. Thousands of Palestinian cheering Arafat

27. Arafat giving the victory sign to crowd

English/Nat

The Israeli army has imposed strict security measures in the Palestinian West Bank town of Ramallah, in response to Wednesday evening's attack outside the town.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the shooting which killed two Israeli settlers and left five others injured.

No-one goes in or out of Ramallah without permission from the authorities.

Israeli soldiers search cars as they try to leave or enter the West Bank town.

The army has also blocked side roads from Ramallah with barbed wire and metal bars.

The town is now completely sealed off.

Palestinian police have also set up roadblocks and patrol the area, including the scene of the shooting, in an effort to locate the attackers.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat refused to make any comment on the shooting.

But Israeli government spokesman Moshe Fogel blamed the Palestinian Authority for not doing enough to crack down on militant extremists.

SOUNDBITE: (english)

"This tragic terrorist attack is a test case for the Palestinian authority, if they will live up to their part of the agreement and that is preventing terror. As far as we're concerned the Palestinian authority is obligated to exert at one hundred per cent effort to find these terrorists and bring them to trial."

SUPER CAPTION: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government spokesman

In the West Bank settlement of Psagot, members of the settler council met to discuss last night's events and to decide their position on the attack.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We warned when Oslo was first signed that it would result in a Bosnia/Lebanonisation of Israel, that's what we're seeing now. Oslo is dead, the question is whether or not the government of Israel is ready to recognise that Oslo is dead."

SUPER CAPTION: Yeichel Leiter, West Bank Settlers spokesman, West Bank

The shooting comes at a time of deep distrust between Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government and the Palestinian Authority.

Talks on an overdue Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank town of Hebron are deadlocked, and Palestinians are angry about Israel's plans to build 132 homes for Jews in the heart of an Arab neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Speaking from Ramallah Hanan Ashrawi, Minister for Higher Education in the Palestinian National Authority also addressed the issue.

She warned that the reasons for violence in the region had to be addressed in order to avoid the explosion of the Middle East

"powder keg".

SOUNDBITE:

"My reaction is that we live in a situation of tremendous complexity, volatility and great injustice...we live in a powder keg situation - it's bound to explode at any moment. The fact that there was another incident of violence demonstrates beyond any doubt that real reasons for violence have to be addressed - that the peace process has to proceed with vision and with courage to change realities on the ground, that collective punishments and transforming the Palestinian territories into a collective prison is conducive to violence and that there has to be the will to proceed with the peace process effectively and to transform realities on the ground.

SUPERCAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Minister for Higher Education in the Palestinian National Authority

This latest attack is yet another setback in already troubled and uneasy Arab- Israeli relations.

Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Psagot Settlement, December 12 1996.

Ramallah:

1. Palestinian legislative council podium

2. Wideshot of council

3. Set-up Hanan Ashrawi, Minister of The Palestinian National Authority;

4. Council podium

5. SOUNDBITE: Ashrawi

6. GV Israeli army roadblock

7. Soldiers checking cars and IDs

8. Cars backed up at roadblock

9. Army closing side roads/laying down barbed wire

10. Palestinian police roadblock

11. Palestinian police patrolling

Gaza:

12. Arafat sitting down

Tel Aviv:

13. SOUNDBITE: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government spokesman

Psagot Settlement

14. SOUNDBITE: Yehiel Leiter West Bank Settlers spokesman, West Bank

15. Settler meeting

16. Settler meeting.

English/Nat

A bomb killed at least one man and injured others in the West Bank just us the U-S Envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross prepared to wrap up a five-day trip to the region today with final talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite the U-S attempted mediation the latest violence is a cruel reminder of the impasse in the peace process.

Israel came away from the talks on Sunday saying no new troop pullbacks from the West Bank can proceed without security pledges from the Palestinians.

But Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat welcomed an American proposal for a peace summit in Washington.

A deserted area in the West Bank town of Ramallah, just north of Jerusalem, was the latest terrorist target.

Police say the charred remains of a white Peugeot where packed with explosives and suspect it was to be driven elsewhere to be used in a terrorist attack.

Witnesses say a body with its legs blown off could be seen lying next to the charred remains of the car.

Ramallah is the site of several Palestinian government ministries.

The last serious terror attacks in Israel were more than six months ago, when suicide bombings in Jerusalem, carried out by the militant Islamic group Hamas, killed the five bombers and 20 Israelis.

Meanwhile in Jerusalem, U-S Peace Envoy Dennis Ross tried to sell to Israel a withdrawal package of 13-point-one per cent of West Bank territory over a 12-week period.

But Israel says it cannot withdraw from more than nine percent of the West Bank and have demanded strict security pledges from the Palestinians.

Israel radio without citing its sources, said the two would meet again today (Monday).

Ross then headed to Gaza late on Sunday evening to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

It was there that Arafat, when he was asked if he was ready to meet with Netanyahu, welcomed what he called an American proposal for an international summit with world leaders.

Such a summit could give Arafat political justification for continuing the peace process even if Ross fails to win concessions from Israel.

Ross has been trying to win acceptance for a U-S proposal for an Israeli troop pullback from about 13 percent of the West Bank but Israel has said it will not withdraw from more than 9 percent.

The withdrawal would be carried out in tandem with Palestinian moves to do more to fight terrorism who are demanding more territory.

However reports have circulated that a 10 percent to 12 percent pullback was being discussed.

Asked about reports that he would accept a 10 percent withdrawal, Arafat said it was still under discussion.

Netanyahu meanwhile said no percentages had been discussed in his meetings with Ross, although they were expected to have come up in the Sunday night meeting.

When Ross emerged with Arafat in the early hours of Monday morning little details were revealed.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Well what I can say is that I have had very thorough discussions with both leaders on our ideas and on the refinements that we have made on our ideas. They've had an opportunity not only to present our refinements but to hear reactions from both sides. I will be going back to Washington and reporting to the Secretary and to the President on these discussions in detail. It's been very clear from the guidance I had on coming out here that both the President and the Secretary believe that it's important to bring this process to a conclusion but the President and Secretary will make a decision on when it's appropriate to do so."

SUPER CAPTION: Dennis Ross, US Peace Envoy to the Middle East

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported Sunday that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had told American Jewish leaders that the United States might pull out of the peace process if no progress was made.

But Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice-chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said the reports of the group's conference call with Albright were "exaggerated."

While Arafat welcomed an American proposal for a peace summit in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly decided to meet Ross again on Monday.

Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza City, Gaza and Jerusalem - 29,30 March 1998

Ramallah, West Bank , 29 march 1998 - Night shots

1. Wide shot of explosion scene

2. Wide shot of police sifting through debris

3. Mid shot of fire truck

4. Various of police looking through debris

5. Wide shot of explosion scene

Gaza City & Jerusalem, Israel - 29 and 30 March 1998

Jerusalem, 29 March

6. Wide shot exterior of office building of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

7. Cutaway media

8. Ross and Netanyahu emerge for photo opportunity and handshake

Gaza City, 29 March

9. Night Exterior Palestinian building

10. Night shot of Palestinian flag

11. Medium shot Ross's car arrives for meeting with Palestinian president Yasser Arafat

12. Pan from Arafat to Ross sitting inside before meeting

English/Nat

Palestinians and Israeli troops clashed on Wednesday in a scene reminiscent of the six-year Intifada.

In one West Bank village Palestinians threw stones at Israeli army jeeps and the troops responded with live rounds as they rescued a trapped comrade.

But other demonstrations were peaceful on the fourth anniversary of the massacre of 29 people by Jewish extremist Baruch Goldstein.

In other developments on Wednesday, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat returned to his headquarters in Gaza after a number of days spent abroad.

In the West Bank village of Kalandia, Palestinian demonstrators were trapped between the roof tops after pelting Israeli troops with rocks.

Israeli soldiers from both sides of the street responded with tear gas.

The army sealed the entrance to the camp on Tuesday night with nine-foot (3-metre) cement blocks.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli soldiers arrested six Palestinians in a sweep after a spate of stone-throwing at troops and Jewish settlers.

The arrests seemed intended to show Palestinians that Israel does not intend to give up security of the villages around Ramallah and Hebron in the next handover of West Bank territory.

Meanwhile Palestinian chairman Yasser Arafat arrived back in Gaza following a visit to Cairo where he discussed with the Egyptian president the stagnated peace process.

Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have stalled over the extent of the next Israeli troop pullback.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to hold Camp David-style talks with Arafat to try to reach a permanent peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Arafat refused to take part until Netanyahu had fulfilled a previous agreement to pull troops out of the West Bank.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We are insisting on to carry on with the implementation of what had been signed and what had been agreed upon in the White House, by the Israelis, and we are insisting that commitments which have been agreed upon are implemented very soon".

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

In the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, dozens of Israeli Peace Now left-wing activists and Jewish settlers engaged in a shouting match at the grave of extremist Baruch Goldstein.

The grave of Goldstein, who killed 29 Palestinian at the site of the tomb of the Patriarch in Hebron four years ago, has become a place of pilgrimage for the settlers.

Peace activists and settlers were both demonstrating to mark the fourth anniversary of the Hebron massacre, although moved by very different loyalties.

The Peace Now activists began their protest silently but ended up calling for the dismantling of Kiryat Arba.

A police cordon had to keep the two sides apart.

Kalandia and Kiryat Arba, West Bank and Gaza Strip - 25 February 1998

Kalandia, West Bank

1. Palestinian throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.

2. Israeli soldier shooting tear gas.

3. Long shot roof top.

4. Palestinian throwing stone.

Gaza

5. Arafat's convoy arriving.

6. Honor guard.

7. Cutaway cameramen.

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Palestinian chairman Yasser Arafat.

Kiryat Arba,West Bank

9. Long shot left wing activists across Goldstein's grave.

10. Long shot peace now activists holding banner.

11. Close up policeman.

12. Close up Baruch Goldstein gravestone

English/Nat

Palestinians in a village in the West Bank demonstrated Tuesday against an Israeli decision to expand settlements in the area.

The protesters, who waved banners and flags, said the decision to expand would mean the confiscation of their land.

In Gaza P-L-O leader Yasser Arafat met with a Spanish delegation headed by Federico Trillo, Speaker of the Spanish parliament who expressed his country's solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Palestinian villagers in the West Bank village of Al-Khader (20 miles / 35 kilometres south of Jerusalem) held a march Tuesday to protest Israel's decision to expand a nearby Jewish settlement.

Protesters carrying banners and Palestinians flags angrily criticised the confiscation of land in the area.

Israeli soldiers watched nearby.

Some protesters prayed at the site of confiscated land.

About 145-thousand Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and Gaza amid 2 million Palestinians.

Israel this week added to the tension by approving the construction of 474 new homes in the West Bank's Jordan Valley.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, European involvement in shoring up the fragile peace in the Middle East continued with a Spanish delegation meeting P-L-O leader Yasser Arafat.

In talks planned in Madrid for Tuesday, Spain intends to make clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government must demonstrate its support for the Middle East peace process.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar intends to push Netanyahu to halt the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to break the deadlock over withdrawing Israeli forces from the West Bank city of Hebron.

Arafat welcomed European involvement and Spain's support.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"The peace process is facing some troubles and we are in need of the role of Europe and the role of Spain."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, PLO leader

SOUNDBITE: Spanish)

"I would like to say that all factions within the Spanish parliament have expressed to President Arafat their solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and the commitment of all Spanish political forces to the peace process."

SUPER CAPTION: Federico Trillo, Speaker of Spanish Parliament

It will be Netanyahu's first visit to Spain since taking office seven months ago.

Al-Khader, West Bank and Gaza. December 3 1996

Al-Khader, West Bank:

1. WS hill

2. Palestinian marchers

3. Palestinians holding banners

4. Israeli soldiers standing

5. Various of march

6. Palestinian praying at hill

Gaza City, Gaza strip:

7. Yasser Arafat with Federico Trillo, Speaker of Spanish Parliament

8. Yasser Arafat

9. Federico Trillo, Speaker of Spanish Parliament

10. Various of Spanish delegation

11. Walking shot Yasser Arafat

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Yasser Arafat, PLO leader

13. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Federico Trillo, Speaker of Spanish Parliament

14. Cutaway to press

15. Yasser Arafat walks to car

English/Nat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says recent peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on the issue of Hebron have made some progress.

But he warned against European intervention saying too many cooks spoil the broth.

Netanyahu spoke after talks with his Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai in the West Bank. Mordechai later toured the West Bank city of Hebron and a Jewish holy site in Bethlehem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Beit El in the West Bank visiting the Central Army headquarters.

After coming out of talks with his Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, Netanyahu was given a tour of the area and chatted with soldiers.

He spoke about the peace talks that are to resume Monday and the thorny issue of Hebron.

Arab leaders have welcomed European involvement in the talks but Israel has been reluctant to give them an official role.

Netanyahu said the U-S was playing an important role as facilitator and another member will complicate matters.

He warned that too many cooks spoil the broth.

SOUNDBITE:

"Well I cannot tell you. I can tell you that we are negotiating earnestly, but I cannot at this time predict an end. I hope that the other side shows goodwill, we certainly have shown this and a pragmatic approach to negotiations. If this is manifested by the other side then there could be a speedy resolution to the Hebron negotiations."

SUPER CAPTION: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

SOUNDBITE:

"I would be very careful before I would add more cooks to the broth."

SUPER CAPTION: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Mordechai was given a warm welcome by Jewish children in Hebron as he arrived there.

They were waving Israeli flags and shouting.

The defence minister was shown around by officials and soldiers.

Following that he toured Rachel's tomb - a Jewish holy site in Bethlehem.

Under heavy security he was guided around the area.

Hebron remains the last West Bank city under Israeli occupation.

Troops were meant to have been redeployed in March but the process has been continually stalled.

Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres halted the move following a spate of suicide bombings by Islamic militants which killed about 70 people.

Netanyahu has continued that policy saying redeployment will put Jewish settlers living there in danger.

Beit El, Hebron and Bethlehem West Bank 20th October

Beit El West Bank

1. LS of Central Army headquarters

2. Netanyahu touring headquarters

3. Netanyahu with Mordechai

4. Netanyahu with army officers

5. Cutaway press

6. SOUNDBITE: Netanyahu

7. Cutaway soldier

8. SOUNDBITE: Netanyahu

9. Various of Netanyahu with army

Hebron West Bank

10. Various of Hebron

11. Mordechai on hill looking over Hebron

12. Mordechai outside Tomb of the Patriarch

13. Settlers in city

14. Children holding Israeli flags

15. Mordechai with soldiers

16. Mordechai leaving

Bethlehem West Bank

17. LS of Rachel tomb

18. Mordechai arriving

19. Security around Tomb

20. Mordechai walking around

21. Mordechai and soldiers

English/Nat

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has spoken to reporters Sunday for the first time since Benjamin Netanyahu was declared Israeli Prime Minister elect.

Despite fears among many Palestinians that Netanyahu might jepordise the already fragile peace process, Arafat sounded upbeat.

But even as he was speaking Israeli bulldozers were opening a new road through Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat making an official visit to the Rafah airfield, his first engagement since the day Israelis went to the polls to elect a new hard-line leadership.

Arafat spoke as the first Palestinian plane landed at the airfield which is being upgraded to handle international flights.

He said that the Palestinian Authority and people have no other choice other than to respect the Israeli democracy in the choice of their new leader.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We are respecting the democratic choice of the Israeli people"

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat

But Arafat also said that he hoped the final negotiations which he will conduct with the new Israeli Prime Minister will achieve the Palestinian dreams.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We are looking forward that the final negotiations will lead for the Palestinian independent state"

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat

In a statement issued early Saturday, the Cabinet and the PLO Executive Committee said they respected the Israeli electorate's decision and appealed to the international community "to increase efforts to push the peace process forward."

But as Arafat made his comments, Israeli bulldozers started opening a new road through Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Landowners said that Israeli bulldozers began working before dawn, protected by Israeli soldiers

SOUNDBITE: (ARABIC)

"We saw them working in our land, we asked them whether they have a permit or a court order to work in the land , they said they do not have anything."

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian land owner, George Shomali]

With the Israeli army there, how could they stop them, asked another.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Many people came here to defend their land but what can they do while the army protecting the bulldozers and the machines are uprooting the trees."

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian land owner, Hanna Araj

Even though Benjamin ("Bibi") Netanyahu is still not installed in office as Prime Minister, Palestinians are already afraid that the next four years will be filled with more settlements, land confiscations and obstacles to peace.

Meanwhile the outgoing cabinet, headed by Shimon Peres, convened one of its last meetings.

Peres was expected to discuss the proposed redeployment from the disputed West Bank town of Hebron, Israel Army Radio said.

The report said Peres planned to refrain from the scheduled army pullout, preferring to leave the problem for Netanyahu's government.

Hebron - a city of 94,000 Palestinians and 450 Jewish settlers - is the last major town in the West Bank to remain under Israeli control.

Palestinians in the city have been closely watching the elections in Israel.

After Netanyahu's victory, Hebron Mayor Mustafa Natche urged Prime Minister Peres to withdraw from the city before stepping down.

But a spokesman said Peres had decided to leave the date of the withdrawal up to the incoming government.

Netanyahu is expected to seek to shift the Hebron problem to final status talks, which are to resolve such issues as the final borders, the return of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jewish settlements.

GAZA STRIP, WEST BANK, JUNE 2 1996

GAZA STRIP, RAFAH

1-Arafat arriving at airport

2-plane landing at Rafah airport

3-co-pilot waving Palestinian flag from plane

4-Arafat near plane surrounded by guards

5-Palestinians chanting

6-SOUNDBITE: Yasser Arafat

7-intercut - Arafat

8-SOUNDBITE: Arafat

9-Arafat walking with two Israeli policemen holding hands

BEIT SAHOUR, WEST BANK

10-bulldozers in field

11-bulldozer opening road

12-Palestinian watching bulldozers

13- uprooted olive trees

14-SOUNDBITE: Shomali

15-more bulldozers

16-Palestinians in bulldozed land

17-SOUNDBITE: Araj

18--bulldozers in field

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK

19-palestinian police directing traffic

20-Ramallah market

21-centre of Ramallah

Hebron, West Bank:

22. Various of Palestinians reading newspapers

23. Various street scenes

24. Various of Israeli soldiers

25. Man reading paper on street

English/Nat

Fourteen Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets as Palestinians and Israeli soldiers clashed in protests that swept the West Bank on Thursday.

It was the second full day of protests following the shooting deaths of three Palestinian workers at an Israeli army roadblock.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said he was still committed to the peace process despite the killings.

Troubles continued for a second full day on the streets of West Bank cities on Thursday.

Triggered by the shooting deaths of three Palestinian workers at an army roadblock, Palestinians hurled stones at Israeli soldiers in Hebron.

Palestinian police moved in to disperse the protesters.

Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas to break up the angry crowds in five separate locations, including downtown Hebron, the victims' home village and a Jerusalem refugee camp.

Fourteen Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets, and a Palestinian free-lance photographer was struck in the head by a rock.

In a leaflet distributed in the West Bank, Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement had called for protests on Thursday.

Three construction workers were shot and killed at an army roadblock in west of Hebron on Tuesday evening.

The three were riding in a van, along with other workers, and were heading home to their village of Dura.

When the van approached the roadblock, it tried to cut in front of other cars and Israeli soldiers opened fire.

The soldiers said they believed the van had run over one of their comrades and that their lives were in danger.

But Palestinian witnesses said troops fired without provocation.

The army is investigating the shooting and Israel has rejected demands by the Palestinians for a joint inquiry.

The three soldiers who opened fire were initially arrested for questioning, but were released on Wednesday evening.

Despite the unrest, hundreds of Jewish settlers marked the Jewish holiday of Purim parading from the Beit Hadassah enclave in Hebron towards the site of clashes.

Israel's army commander in the West Bank, Brigadier-General, Yitzhak Eitan, had previously asked both settlers and Israeli soldiers to act with restraint in order to reduce the tensions in the city.

About 450 Jews live guarded by hundreds of Israeli soldiers in the town, home of 130-thousand Palestinians.

Stone-throwing clashes also erupted in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

In Gaza city, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano.

At a joint news conference, Arafat said he hoped the latest events in Hebron would not damage the peace process.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Still we did not receive the investigation, they had promised us and we are waiting for it.

Q: And do you think it will affect the peace process?

A: We hope not because we are committed to the peace process and despite of all what we are facing and we will continue throughout the peace process."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Leader

Turning to another troubled region, Nano called on Albanians to also look towards peace in Kosovo.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I invite, also the Albanians in Kosovo to keep mature as they have kept. To never forget the blood that was shed, but to try to convert in new energies for building peace."

SUPER CAPTION: Fatos Nano, Albanian Prime Minister

There were also protests in the village of Dura, near Hebron, in the West Bank towns of Beit El and in the Shuafat refugee camp north of Jerusalem.

Hebron & Bethlehem, West Bank; Gaza - 12 March 1998

Hebron

1. Various of Palestinians clashing with Palestinian police

2. Injured man put in ambulance

3. Ambulance drives off

4. Palestinians throwing stones

5. Policeman holding his arm

6. Jewish Purim march

7. Wide shot march

Bethlehem

8. Palestinians throwing rocks

9. Palestinians running and throwing rocks

10. Israeli soldiers firing

11. Man throwing smoke bomb

12. Soldiers firing

Gaza

13. Arafat waits for the arrival of Nano

14. Arafat greets Nano

15. Arafat and Nano shake hands in meeting

16. Arafat and Nano walk towards podium at press conference

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Yasser Arafat, Palestinian President

18. Cutaway press conference

19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fatos Nano, Albanian Prime Minister

20. Nano leaves

Natural Sound

Hundreds of Hamas supporters have staged protest marches in the West Bank and Gaza following the deaths of two members of their group.

The men were slain by Israeli troops on Thursday and now Hamas is vowing revenge.

The latest crisis comes as U-S envoy Dennis Ross shuttles between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in hopes of concluding a deal on a West Bank troop withdrawal.

It was the killing of Imad and Adel Awadallah who were shot to death in a raid on their hideout by Israeli troops that sparked these latest clashes.

In the men's home town of El Bireh (near Ramallah), some 300 people marched from the Awadallah's family home to the nearby Jewish settlement of Psagot, shouting "revenge, revenge."

Several dozen marchers broke away and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli troops who fired several rounds of rubber bullets.

A protest march was also held in Gaza where hundreds of Hamas supporters gathered along with Hamas founder and spiritual leader Ahmed Yassi.

He and other Hamas leaders are warning that the group will retaliate, possibly with suicide bombings, as it did when its chief bomb maker was assassinated in January 1996.

The Israeli army has now sealed the West Bank and Gaza Strip to prevent retaliation attacks.

Meanwhile, the man in charge of the raid on the two Hamas figures says he was tipped off as to the whereabouts of the men's hiding place.

He says after the raid they found a cache of ammunition.

The army commander says the Awadallah brothers were apparently planning to kidnap Israelis or carry out a drive-by shooting.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"It had happened three days ago, after hearing shots and explosions in this area we sent troops who encountered two terrorists and after a short battle killed them. We found after the battle a lot of weapons and ammunition and hand grenades in this area."

SUPER CAPTION: Col. Yitzhak Eitan, West Bank Army Commander

The new tensions came as U-S Mideast envoy Dennis Ross shuttled between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in hopes of concluding a deal on a West Bank troop withdrawal.

On the third day of his mission, Ross met Palestinian security chiefs to discuss the possible release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Later on Friday, Ross held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite the rising tensions, Ross pressed on with efforts to narrow the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.

He met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai.

El Bireh, Gaza, Jerusalem, 10 and 11 September 1998

El Bireh, near Ramallah

(11 September 1998)

1. Wide shot of youths gathering on street

2. Youth hit by gunfire

3. Mid shot of soldier firing gun

4. Youths throwing rocks

5. Various of youths carrying injured man and ducking for cover

6. Soldier running with bleeding mouth

Gaza

7. Wide shot of march

8. Cutaway of masked man

9. Wide shot of marchers

10. Yassin in car

11. Various of women marching

Hebron, West Bank

(10 September 1998)

12. Pan from city at night to cordoned off house where two brothers were killed

13. Close-up of two bodies in bags

14. Soldiers putting body into back of ambulance

15. Various shots of weapons found in house

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Col. Yitzhak Eitan, West Bank Army Commander

Jerusalem

17. Exterior of government building

18. Motorcade pulls up, Dennis Ross goes into building

19. Various of Ross meeting with Netanyahu

20. Israeli Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai entering building

English/Nat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would reach an agreement with the Palestinians on a pullout from the West Bank by the end of the year.

Israel has been resisting U-S pressure to turn over an additional 13 percent of the West Bank to the Palestinians in return for a Palestinian crack down on Islamic militants.

But the pressure on Netanyahu is also coming from within Israel and his own cabinet with different groups threatening to pull apart his fragile coalition over the issue.

Despite growing U-S pressure on Israel to make a decision on a troop pull out from the West Bank, Israel's Cabinet again failed to reach agreement on the scope of any withdrawal.

Hardline members of the cabinet have already made their positions clear on the U-S plans.

Infrastructure minister Ariel Sharon has said Israel couldn't accept the U-S proposal as certain parts of the West Bank territory are non-negotiable.

A map he presented to the Cabinet two weeks ago reportedly showed Israel keeping two-thirds of the West Bank - even though Palestinians expect to receive at least 90 percent of the territory as part of a final peace settlement.

Far-right Cabinet ministers have threatened to topple the government if Netanyahu agreed to a 13 percent pullback.

They say such a withdrawal would be a disaster for Jewish settlements.

The Jewish Settlers' Council has already launched a campaign to turn Israeli public opinion against a 13 percent troop pullback.

Some observers think Netanyahu's government is split between those who want peace between Israel and its neighbours and the hardliners who refuse to give an inch to the Palestinians.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

\"There are at least two distinct groups in Netanyahu's cabinet. There are those who are pragmatists and believe that the peace process is the only way for this government to function and believes that if Israel does not move forward with the pullbacks ultimately this would lead even to violence in the territories. There is another group which is the ideological wing and that ideological wing believes that Israel should not yield any of its

biblical patrimony.\"

SUPER CAPTION: David Makovsky, political analyst

Recent polls have suggested that a large majority in Israel want Netanyahu to forge ahead with the peace negotiations and agree to a troop withdrawal.

Among the opponents to a withdrawal is Michael Kleiner, head of a group of right-wing legislators called the Land of Israel Front.

Kleiner believes that Netanyahu might succeed in getting the majority for a pull out in the Knesset but only with Labour party support.

But if Netanyahu went for that it would bring about the collapse of his government.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

\"For the withdrawal itself he may have a majority because the Labour opposition will support him, but for the continuing operation of his government he will loose the majority so practically a decision about such a big second redeployment means new election

because the government will not have any more a parliamentary majority.\"

SUPER CAPTION: Michael Kleiner, right wing member of Parliament

Since his election in 1996, Netanyahu has tried to appease the United States with declarations of unwavering support for the peace process while at the same time giving as little as possible to the Palestinians.

This approach contrasts with that promoted by the opposition Labour party who are waiting to see Netanyahu's next move.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

\"We are not dealing with speculations, when there will be a clear decision that had been made, we will respond. Our basic position is well known. We are supporting the peace process and at the same time we don't have a drop of confidence in Netanyahu's government.\"

SUPER CAPTION: Ehud Barak, head of the Labour opposition party

Israel's continued indecision is likely to further strain ties with the United States which has demanded an Israeli answer within days to its proposals.

However, U-S ultimatums to Israel have come and gone in the past month without repercussions.

It appears that Netanyahu has been more concerned about the survival of his government than about possible U-S censure.

Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel and West Bank - June 1, 1998 and file

File - Jerusalem, May 12, 1998

1. Israeli prime minister Netanyahu entering cabinet meeting

File - Jerusalem, May 24, 1998

2. Ministers Sharon and Mordechai entering cabinet meeting

File - Jerusalem, May 12, 1998

3. Israeli cabinet meeting

File - Maale Ephraim settlement, West Bank

4. Israeli Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon overlooking settlement and pointing at map

5. Pan from Sharon to the settlement area

Efrat settlement, West Bank, June 1, 1998

6. Road sign to Jewish settlements in the area, pull in to settlement houses

7. Settlement

8. Adults and children walking in street at Efrat settlement

Jerusalem, June 1, 1998

9. David Makovsky, political analyst working at computer

10. Close up of dolls of Netanyahu and Arafat on Makovsky's computer

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Makovsky, political analyst

Tel Aviv, Israel, June 1, 1998

12. Michael Kleiner, walking up the stairs to his office

14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Michael Kleiner, right wing member of Parliament

15. Labour opposition leader Ehud Barak

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ehud Barak, Labour party leader

18. Barak in a meeting with members of the Labour party

Natural Sound

Israeli soldiers used plastic bullets to disperse several dozen rock-throwing Palestinians in the West Bank town of Hebron on Sunday.

The clashes left at least one protester shot and wounded.

The demonstrators were protesting over continued Israeli reluctance to carry out an agreed second stage pull out from an area they see as their homeland.

Familiar scenes in Hebron.

Rock throwing is met by rounds of plastic bullets.

The city has been the scene of numerous violent clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the past.

The Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where they currently have only limited autonomy.

Israel controls 20 percent of Hebron - which is home to some 120-thousand Palestinians and approximately 500 Jewish settlers.

The Israeli government has so far not met the promises made in the Oslo peace accords to withdraw further from the West Bank and Gaza.

And on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further outraged the Palestinians by insisting Jewish settlers would continue to build homes in the West Bank or Jerusalem despite U-S calls for a timeout.

The man in charge of "preventative security" in the West Bank is Jibril Rajjoub, who arrived to be briefed on the latest outbreak of violence.

His job is unlikely to become easier.

Palestinians feel Netanyahu's government is intent on continued violations of the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

In a front-page editorial on Sunday, the Palestinian newspaper Al Hayat accused Netanyahu of having "his eyes and ears closed".

Hebron, West Bank - 21 December 1997

1. Youths throwing stones

2. Palestinians throwing stones

3. Street with police in foreground

4. Soldier with gun

5. Youths throwing stones

6. Police firing round at youths

7. Youths throwing stones

8. Police firing at youths

9. Man with bottles behind back to street scene

10. Police running towards gates

11. Policeman with gun running

12. Police, officials and crowd

13. Various of Chief of Preventative Security in West Bank, Jibril Rajjoub, being briefed at scene

14. Crowd and street

15. Soldiers with guns - crowd in background

English/Nat

Nation of lslam leader, Louis Farrakhan, cancelled a scheduled visit to Jerusalem on Monday, after Israel expressed misgivings about his surprise arrival.

Farrakhan, who was welcomed into Palestinian territories at the weekend, had also hoped to visit Israel, saying he wanting to contribute to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

But when Israeli officials refused to meet him, Farrakhan boarded a bus which took him to the Allenby Bridge on the West Bank/Jordanian border, to cross back into Jordan.

The U-S Muslim leader headed back to Jordan on Monday after he was rebuffed by Israeli officials.

Louis Farrakhan had spent the weekend in the West Bank and was on his way to Jerusalem when word of his unannounced visit was met with a less-than-enthusiastic reception.

Farrakhan has not been popular in Israel because he once referred to Judaism as a "gutter religion."

But when asked about his disparaging remarks, the leader denied he was anti-Semitic.

Farrakhan had hoped to meet Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

But when asked if Netanyahu would receive Farrakhan, government spokesman David Bar-Illan replied "of course not", and said neither would any other Israeli official.

Farrakhan, who said he would visit Israel next month, arrived in the West Bank on Sunday via Jordan, saying he had come to the holy land in the interests of peace.

Then, in a surprise announcement, he proposed to go to Israel on Monday.

Earlier, Farrakhan said he had also planned to pray at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque - Islam's third holiest site.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We have come to this holy land in the interests of peace. We do not wish to incite the Israeli people to do anything that would injure relationships in the United States any further between blacks and Jews. I wanted to pray at Al Aqsa but I understand from those from Jerusalem and from the news that there are those who would honour their right to demonstrate but to obstruct my going into pray. We don't get a favourable sign from the government that I am welcome and no pledge of security for us, and should anything happen to me while I'm in this land, it would not bring good results in Black-Jewish relations in the United States. So in the interests of peace I think it best that I leave and God willing, I will come back and pray at Al Aqsa mosque when all Palestinians, and all Muslims, will have free access to that third holiest shrine of the Sunna."

SUPER CAPTION: Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam leader

In Ramallah, the Nation of Islam leader, wearing a dark suit and his trademark bow tie, got a different reception.

At the weekend, he ate lunch with Palestinian Cabinet ministers and legislators and went to Gaza City for a meeting with Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

After the talks, Farrakhan suggested Israel was to blame for the crisis in the peace process.

But in an apparent reference to terrorist attacks by Islamic militants, he condemned taking the lives of innocent people for political purposes.

As a gift, Arafat gave Farrakhan a model of Islamic shrines in Jerusalem.

The Chicago-based black leader is on a 52-nation tour that will take him to many countries criticised by Washington, including Libya, Iran, North Korea and Cuba.

The U-S State Department advised Farrakhan that those governments may use his visits for anti-American propaganda.

Last week, he visited Iraq, insisting his trip did not violate a U-S travel ban because he did not use his American passport to enter the country.

But he did not say what document he used.

The U-S Embassy refused to comment on Farrakhan's arrival in Palestinian territory.

Farrakhan's stop here in the West Bank comes at a time when the Palestinians are hoping U-S pressure will elicit concessions from Netanyahu and get the peace process moving again.

But according to Israeli officials, Farrakhan's association with Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the ayatollahs of Iran disqualify him from any role as a peacemaker.

Israeli government spokesman, Bar-Illan, said to consider Farrakhan a mediator would be an insult to one's intelligence.

Bar-Illan noted that Farrakhan, as a U-S citizen, did not need any special permission to enter the Jewish state, but some officials denounced his presence.

Israeli Cabinet secretary Danny Naveh called it "intolerable that he be walking around among us."

Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Ministry demanded Farrakhan retract anti-Semitic remarks, calling them "harsh and insensitive."

Israeli ministry spokesman Aviv Shir-On said as long as there was no incitement and public order was maintained, Israel would not limit Farrakhan's movements.

But on Monday, vowing that he would one day visit Israel, Farrakhan boarded a bus to take him back into Jordan.

Ramallah, West Bank; Allenby Bridge, West Bank / Jordanian border - 15 December 1997

Allenby Bridge

1. Wide shot bus arriving at West Bank/Jordanian border

2. Close up Farrakhan, pull out

3. Mid shot bus at checkpoint

Ramallah

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam leader

5. Mid shot Farrakhan getting into bus

Allenby Bridge

6. Mid shot Farrakhan's bus drives away

Hebrew/Eng/Nat

U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Thursday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop building Jewish homes in the West Bank saying it could stand in the way of peace in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that 300 more homes would be built in the West Bank settlement of Efrat.

Despite the U-S criticism, Israel has defended its decision saying the construction was legal and would go ahead.

The announcement of these latest building plans has prompted a warning from Palestinian leaders that these latest building plans could trigger more suicide bombings.

The Israeli decision to build comes just two weeks after the U-S Secretary of State visited the Middle East in a bid to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

During her trip she managed to get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a "freeze" on the building of further settlements in The West Bank.

Netanyahu's subsequent decision to allow the construction of around 300 new Jewish homes in Efrat, south of Bethlehem has annoyed Madeleine Albright.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

''Well, I have to say we have made it quite clear that this particular building is not at all helpful as we are proceeding in terms of trying to get the peace process going again. It's very important, I believe, to create the proper environment so that the negotiations can proceed successfully and we can get our idea or marrying the interim agreement to accelerated final status talks going again, and for those talks.

SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State

In New York to attend the U-N General Assembly, Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy said enlarging existing West Bank settlements was legal.

While Levy praised Albright's peacemaking efforts, he challenged her criticism of Netanyahu's actions.

SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew translated to English)

''The question is whether Israel is acting in accordance with what has been agreed between the sides. And the answer to that question is that we have.''

SUPER CAPTION: David Levy, Israeli Foreign Minister

The 1993 and 1995 Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority bar new settlements on the West Bank but do not deal with existing ones which might expand.

Israeli government officials described the expansion as a natural occurrence as families grow and need more room.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Israel government policy is to enable natural growth of existing communities and we believe that if you have a continuity of growth, in other words building next to existing buildings, then this can only be a natural phenomena, it is only natural to have another kindergarten, another high school, another street in the natural growth of existing Jewish communities."

SUPER CAPTION: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government Spokesman

But in the West Bank, there was a warning from the Palestinian leadership that these latest Israeli construction plans will lead to further suicide bombings by Islamic militants such as the guerrilla group Hamas.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Well, I think this is another dangerously irresponsible decision bordering on a policy of insanity that is going to turn the whole region into another cycle of conflict and violence. Netanyahu seems to be wilfully intent on destroying the peace process and creating an atmosphere of friction, of conflict, of volatility and of violating every single tenet and principle that should govern the peace process."

SUPER CAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Minister of Higher Education

Key officials from the Palestinian Authority, currently in Washington D-C for preliminary talks with U-S mediator Dennis Ross, said the building of new settlements is putting immense pressure on future peace talks.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We reiterated our positions vis a vis the necessity to cease all unilateral steps that may prejudice or pre-empt the outcome of the permanent status talks: especially settlement activities, confiscation of lands, homes demolitions."

SUPER CAPTION: Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator

In the meantime, tensions continue to rise in the region.

Hundreds of Palestinians marched in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, marking the one-year anniversary of the opening of a controversial tunnel in Jerusalem.

The archaeological tunnel, which Israel opened near Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, sparked prolonged clashes last September.

Eighty people died in the violence -- the majority of them were Palestinian.

Among those joining the 300 or so marchers in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on were 10 Palestinian policemen.

They and the other demonstrators followed a coffin symbolising the 61 Palestinians killed in the violence which followed the opening of the tunnel.

Efrat, Ramallah, and Jerusalem, and Washington D-C and New York U-S - 25 September 1997

Efrat, West Bank

1. Various shots of site

2. Various shots of construction

3. Medium shot bulldozer

4. Close shot bulldozer, pullout to wide shot construction site

New York

5. Albright walking to microphone

6. Cameraman

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State

8. Israel foreign minister David Levy sitting down with official

9. Cutaway press

10. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew) David Levy, Israeli Foreign Minister Foreign Minister

Jerusalem

11. Close shot Moshe Fogel's hand pointing to plan of Efrat construction area

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government Spokesman

Ramallah, West Bank

13. Set up shot of Hanan Ashrawi

14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Minister of Higher Education

Washington D-C

15. Saeb Erekat and Palestinian delegation comes out

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator

Rafah, Gaza Strip

17. Masked man on truck with Palestinian flag and gun

18. Demonstrators carrying Palestinian flag

19. Masked men carrying coffin

20. Marchers chanting anti-Israel slogans

English/Nat

Palestinian security forces arrested dozens of Hamas activists in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Friday as part of a crackdown on Islamic militants that had been sought by Israel and the United States.

In Jerusalem Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that new building of Jewish settlements had been approved by the former Labour government.

A day after angering the U-S Secretary of State by announcing more Jewish homes in the West bank, the Israeli Prime Minister was on the defensive.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that 300 new homes would be built in Efrat, south of Bethlehem.

The announcement sparked the U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to criticise Netanyahu's decision on Thursday, saying it would block peace in the Middle East.

However Netanyahu laid the decision to build in Efrat firmly at the door of the previous Israeli government.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"In Efrat we have built in a neighbourhood, or in an area, that was approved by the previous government, actually the first arrangement on the ground were made by them and we have completed it, and that is a natural extension, a direct extension of the existing construction."

SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

The decision to build comes just two weeks after Albright visited the Middle East in a bid to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

During her trip she managed to get Netanyahu to agree to "freeze" the building of further settlements in The West Bank.

The decision to build in the West Bank has angered Palestinians who feel they are illegal.

The Israelis disagree.

The 1993 and 1995 Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority bar new settlements on the West Bank, but do not deal with existing ones which might expand.

Friday prayers at the Temple Mount, however, passed without trouble, despite the heightened tension.

In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, Palestinian security forces put into play a crackdown on Islamic militants sought by Israel and the U-S.

Acting on the orders of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, security forces arrested dozens of Hamas activists in the West Bank and Gaza Strip late on Thursday and early on Friday.

It started in the town of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip.

D-N-A testing has shown that four of five suicide bombers involved in two blasts in Jerusalem on July 30 and September 4 were Hamas activists from the West Bank village of Assira.

The four had walked out of a loosely guarded Palestinian jail a year ago and had been on a list of militants Israel wanted arrested.

In response, an embarrassed Arafat began shutting down Hamas institutions, including a television station, a sports club and a kindergarten.

Large groups of Palestinians gathered on the streets of Khan Yunis as they were thrown out of their clubs and institutions.

Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi on Friday condemned the measures as 'oppressive.'

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I believe that it's a strong strike to Palestinian people, because these associations are the infrastructure of Palestinians, Palestinian people who suffer much under occupation and, not the infrastructure of Hamas. These are social associations and I am astonished that, the Palestinian Authority closed these associations at a time that Netanyahu announced and declared that he is going on in settlements in the West Bank."

SUPER CAPTION: Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader

Rantisi accused the Palestinian Authority of caving in to Israeli-American pressure.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"The yielding of Palestinian Authority in front of Israeli and American pressures will affect much the unity of Palestinians."

SUPER CAPTION: Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader

The ringleaders of the Assira cell have not yet been caught, and Israeli security forces said there was a high probability of more bombings.

Jerusalem, and Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, 25-26 September 1997

Jerusalem, September 26:

1. Exterior of Prime Minister's office

2. Benjamin Netanyahu at podium

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

4. Wide shot Netanyahu at podium

5. Cutaway to cameraman

6. Close shot sign of Damascus gate, pan to gate

7. Medium shot large crowd passing through gateway

8. Wide shot skyline, pull in to worshippers praying

9. Medium worshippers praying

10. Wide shot worshippers praying

Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, September 25:

11. Group of soldiers out side club doors

12. People on stairs being sent out of the Islamic Association Club

13. Close up of soldier pinning notice to door indicating closure

Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, September 26:

14. Cameramen cutaway

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader

16. Cameramen cutaway

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader

18. Various street scenes

English/Nat

A senior Palestinian leader on Wednesday criticised U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for expressing support for Israel, saying it was not a good start for the attempts to restore peace in the region.

Hanan Ashrawi - a member of Yasser Arafat's Cabinet - said a Albright's statement by Albright indicated a one-sided approach that would not be conducive to the peace process.

The U-S statement of support for Israel also drew strong condemnation from Palestinian extremists, who demonstrated in the West Bank town of Nablus.

Palestinians in the West Bank town of Nablus held an anti-American demonstration on Wednesday.

They burned an American flag as well as a poster depicting U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stabbing Palestinian people.

Among those demonstrating were 200 women believed to be affiliated with the Islamic militant group Hamas.

The women stopped traffic in downtown Nablus as they marched with banners denouncing Israel and America.

One of the demonstrators explained why they were against Albright's visit.

SOUNDBITE (English):

"We're here protesting against the American pressures on the Palestinians and we are asking Albright to go home, because her visiting to this area is just to make more pressures on Palestinians."

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian demonstrator

The demonstration follows Albright's declaration of the U-S as a strong ally of Israel against terrorism, in the face of recent suicide bombings by Islamic militants.

Her statement also provoked sharp criticism from moderate Palestinians.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Hanan Ashrawi had earlier expressed the hope that the U- S Secretary of State would deal with the underlying causes for the current halt in the peace process.

Ashrawi said the real issues are Israel's refusal to implement agreements from peace accords signed in Washington in 1993, the question of settlements and what she called the "Judaisation" of Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, however, Ashrawi was sharply critical of the way Albright had begun her visit to the region.

SOUNDBITE (English):

"Well, Madeleine Albright's statements are very clearly geared towards addressing an Israeli public, an Israeli audience, who have total sympathy and identification. I think she left only a nod, a sort of symbolic nod, to the peace process and to peace, but basically it reiterated the emphasis on security, the emphasis on the security of Israelis, the emphasis on the strategic and the distinctive relationship between Israel and the U-S. I feel that such a wholeheartedly one-sided approach that adopts the Israeli position is not going to be conducive to an even-handed approach to the peace process."

SUPER CAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Cabinet Member

Elsewhere in Ramallah, a group of 60 Palestinian doctors protested at a roadblock against Israel's closure of the West Bank in response to the recent bombings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has toughened his already hard line on Palestinians - refusing to turn over West Bank land to the Palestinians, as promised, until Arafat makes mass arrests of Islamic militants.

A Hamas source on Wednesday said Yasser Arafat's police had issued 200 arrest warrants for Islamic activists.

The top Palestinian law enforcement official, Attorney General Fayez abu Rahmeh, denied this was true.

SOUNDBITE (English):

"I only heard that 35 people were arrested. That's the number which I heard. I didn't hear at all that the number was or is 200 people."

SUPER CAPTION: Fayez abu Rahmeh, Palestinian Attorney General

Palestinian security officials said they have arrested more than 100 suspected Islamic militants since Thursday's triple suicide-bombings in Jerusalem, including 15 arrested in the hours before Albright's visit.

Israel has dismissed the arrests as a gesture for Albright's benefit and continued to bolster its security in Jerusalem.

Policemen were deployed around the city while border authorities patrolled the streets amid reports that Islamic militants were planning to carry out more attacks on Israelis.

Nablus and Ramallah, West Bank & Gaza & Jerusalem - 10 September 1997

Nablus, West Bank

1. Close up of torn poster of American flag

2. Poster of American flag being lighted

3. Poster of flag on ground being picked up

4. Women demonstrating, holding up posters

5. Close up of poster depicting Madeleine Albright as Statue of Liberty hanging a Palestinian, words say "American conditions"

6. Wide shot of street where women are demonstrating

7. Close up of poster depicting Uncle Sam holding an imbalanced scale tipping in favour of Israel against the world

8. Close up word "Israel"

9. Poster saying "Albrite, Albrite, we can protest our rights"

10. SOUNDBITE (English): Vox Pop (Palestinian demonstrator)

Ramallah, West Bank

13. Hanan Ashrawi coming out of her house

14. SOUNDBITE (English): Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Cabinet Member

15. 60 Palestinian doctors demonstrating at roadblock

16. Close up of poster saying, "Women, children and old people - the direct victims of Israeli closure"

17. Close up of poster saying, "Stop Patients' Death on Israeli Checkpoints"

Gaza

18. Wide shot of press conference with Palestinian Attorney General Fayez abu Rahmeh

19. Set up shot of Fayez abu Rahmeh

20. SOUNDBITE (English): Fayez abu Rahmeh

Jerusalem

21. Various of policemen on street

22. Various of border policemen patrolling streets