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 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has briefed his Cabinet on last week's Washington summit when he discussed plans for a troop redeployment in the West Bank with U-S President Bill Clinton.

Despite pressure from the Palestinian Authority and the U-S, the Israeli government has so far failed to reach a decision on the extent of the West Bank pullback - or when it will take place.

Sunday's Cabinet meeting took place amid reports that the U-S is likely to propose that Israel pull out of 12 percent of the West Bank in three stages.

Benjamin Netanyahu revealed details of his Washington trip to his Cabinet for the first time on Sunday.

Netanyahu met President Clinton to discuss progress on an agreement made with the Palestinian National Authority last year, under which Israel promised three troop withdrawals from the West Bank by the middle of 1998.

So far, none of the withdrawals has materialised, and the Clinton administration had urged Netanyahu to announce plans to carry out a redeployment in Washington.

The Palestinian Authority, whose leader, Yasser Arafat, also met President Clinton last week, has demanded that Israel withdraw from at least 60 percent of the West Bank immediately, before sitting down to talks on a final peace settlement.

But the Israeli Cabinet has still to make up its mind on how much of the West Bank it will evacuate - and when.

The Israeli government is reported to be considering a single pullout of 10 percent, but some days ago it published a 12-page list of conditions it insisted the Palestinians must meet before West Bank pullbacks will begin.

There were reports on Sunday that the U-S is likely to propose that Israel pull out of 12 percent of the West Bank in three stages over an 80-day period.

The proposal would suggest the pull back would be in return for a Palestinian fulfillment of security commitments.

U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is expected to raise the proposal with Netanyahu and Arafat in upcoming meetings.

Meanwhile, with tension running high over the stalemate in the peace process, Israeli security forces are still on high alert for possible attacks on civilians.

On Sunday, explosives experts blew up a suspicious object found in a Jerusalem bus station after police cleared the area.

Officials later confirmed that the object was an innocent package.

Suicide bombers from the armed Islamic group Hamas carried out a number of attacks in Jerusalem last year, killing dozens of people at a critical stage in the Arab-Israeli peace talks.

Jerusalem - 25 January 1998

1. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arriving for Cabinet meeting

2. Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai and other ministers arriving for meeting

3. Ministers stand for one minute silence for education minister Zevulun Hammer who died last week

4. Pan across all ministers, zoom in on Netanyahu seated at cabinet meeting

5. Wide shot ministers seated around table

6. Close shot Ariel Sharon, Infrastructure Minister

7. Close shot Netanyahu, pull out to mid shot

8. Orthodox ministers, pan across Cabinet table

9. Wide shot bus station

10. Bomb squad member setting up detonator in front of emergency vehicle

11. Wide shot evacuated crowds standing outside bus station

12. Mid shot suspicious object being blown up

13. Crowds walk away

SHOTLIST:

Tel Aviv

1. Wide exterior shot of street of Defence ministry, armed soldier standing by

2. Pan of Israeli minister car entering ministry

3. Mid shot of soldier

4. Various of cars transporting ministers arriving for cabinet meeting

Ramallah, West Bank

5. Exterior shot of Council of Minister building, also office of Palestinian Prime-Minister Ahmed Qureia

6. Wide of European Union representative to the Middle East Martin Schultz arriving for meeting with

7. Various of meeting between Schultz and Qureia

Rafah terminal , Gaza Strip

8. Palestinian police arriving at Rafah terminal

9. Palestinian policemen car convoy waiting at terminal

10. Palestinian policeman gathering passports of policemen

11. Wide of cars packed with equipment

STORYLINE:

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked senior cabinet ministers on Thursday to approve the release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a gradual pullout from five West Bank cities and a joint cease-fire declaration with the Palestinians at a historic Mideast summit next week.

Momentum for a cease-fire announcement and other measures received a major boost Wednesday after Egypt unexpectedly offered to host a summit of regional leaders.

Tuesday's summit at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik is to be hosted by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and Jordan's King Abdullah will also attend.

In Thursday's meeting, Sharon asked six senior ministers to approve a series of steps ahead of the summit.

In addition to the prisoner release and a gradual West Bank troop withdrawal, Israel would also agree to stop hunting fugitives, provided they sign a pledge to halt attacks and hand over weapons.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told the ministers the military plans to withdraw gradually from five West Bank towns, starting with Jericho, followed by Bethlehem, Qalqiliya and Tulkarem.

Ramallah, the Palestinians' centre of government, would be last, participants said.

Mofaz emphasised that all the measures are reversible, apparently addressing concerns by hawkish ministers.

Later on Thursday, Sharon aide Dov Weisglass and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat were to meet to finalise the summit's agenda.

In Ramallah, Palestinian Prime minister Ahmed Qureia met European Union representative to the Middle East Martin Schultz and briefed him on the latest developments between Israel and the Palestinians.

And at the Rafah terminal in the Gaza strip, Palestinian policemen crossed the border to Egypt to take part in training that will allow them to deploy Palestinian forces in Gaza Strip anticipating the Israeli withdrawal from the area by mid 2005.

Palestinians and Israelis both said they expected the summit to produce a truce ending more than four years of violence.

A joint declaration of a cessation of violence is one of the first requirements in the internationally backed Road Map peace plan, which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state by the end of this year.

SHOTLIST:

Tulkarem

1. Long shot of entrance to city with Israeli barrier abandoned

2. Mid shot of abandoned area with cars passing on street

3. Various of Israeli tanks on the outskirts of Tulkarem

4. Israeli soldiers guarding armoured vehicles

5. Various of armoured vehicles at outpost

6. Sandbags in window of Israeli outpost

7. Israeli flag flying in front of post

8. Various of outpost

9. Wide shot of soldiers checking Palestinian cars on road by outpost

10. Various of tanks

11. Palestinian workers repairing damaged telephone lines in Tulkarem

12. Various of traffic in city

13. Various of tank damage to road

14. Wide shot of bullet-damaged building

15. Close shot of bullet holes

16. Various of building damage

17. Mid shot of broken fences and other damage from Israeli incursion

18. Mid shot of man looking at damage

Jerusalem

19. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon walking to Cabinet meeting

20. Mid shot of Sharon sitting at Cabinet meeting

STORYLINE:

Israeli troops withdrew from the West Bank town of Tulkarem late on Saturday, the army said ahead of talks with visiting EU representatives.

Israeli troops entered six West Bank towns in October, in response to the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister by Palestinian militants.

The United States has repeatedly demanded that Israel immediately withdraw from Palestinian territory and not return.

Israel has said its military strikes, including incursions into Palestinian territory, are aimed at preventing attacks by Palestinian militants.

The Israeli military said troops completed their withdrawal from Tulkarem late Saturday.

On Sunday Palestinian workers immediately began repairing the damage caused by Israeli tanks to the streets and buildings of the town.

The Israeli army said, however, that a closure of the town will remain in effect, meaning residents are barred from leaving and entering.

The army says it withdrew to positions on the outskirts of the town outside the borders of the Palestinian-controlled area, and that the withdrawal was complete.

The Israelis now only remain in the town of Jenin.

SHOTLIST

Jerusalem

1. Exterior shot of Israeli prime minister's office

2. Wide interior of cabinet ministers' meeting

3. Close up of Israel Prime minister Ariel Sharon sitting at table

4. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Ariel Sharon, Israel Prime Minster:

"More than half of the residents entitled for compensation applied for the compensation request, I turn to those that did not apply - we are now in the last minute already - and you should apply now and don't wait. Don't be tempted to believe that the disengagement wont be implemented or that it will be delayed. The disengagement will be implemented on schedule. And therefore I am asking you: apply now - it is a waste to wait even one more day."

5. Mid shot of meeting

Israeli Army base, Southern Israel

6. Israeli soldiers approaching gate

7. Close up female soldier handcuffed to fence, pretending to be settler (for army drill)

8. Scuffles as soldiers climb fence

9. Soldiers simulating settlers during sit down protest, zoom in soldiers standing by

10. Soldiers removing protesters

11. Various of another drill with 'settlers' being carried off, put in shipping containers and forcibly moved

12. Wide of shipping container being moved by crane

Erez Crossing, Gaza Strip

13. Palestinian convoy arriving at Erez Crossing for meetings with Israeli security forces

14. Wide shot Palestinian security officials walking into building holding maps, shake hands with Israeli officials

15. Jeep driving away

STORYLINE

Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Monday that more than half of settlers due to be moved from their homes in the Gaza Strip have submitted requests to the government for compensation and housing assistance.

He urged the remainder to begin cooperating.

"Don't be tempted to believe that the disengagement won't be implemented or that it will be delayed," he told Cabinet ministers at a special meeting to discuss the operational aspects of the withdrawal plan. "The disengagement will be implemented on schedule."

Many opponents - who say the land was promised to the Jews in the Bible - believe the withdrawal will be called off at the last minute through divine intervention.

At Monday's ministers' meeting Sharon was expected to be hear updates on the settlers' accommodation situation and arrangements for the children of the settlers expected to begin a new school year on September 1st.

Sharon was also to be briefed on the security forces' assessment of the expected resistance to the evacuation in the run up to the withdrawal in two week's time.

Meanwhile the Israeli army held a final simulation drill in an attempt to prepare for possible confrontations with settlers planning to resist the dismantling of settlements.

Soldiers practiced using shipping containers to move people by force.

The soldiers taking part in the drill will assist the Israeli security forces in dealing with a planned settlers' demonstration on Tuesday in south Israel, and will then be posted at their positions for the disengagement plan.

With the date for the proposed withdrawal fast approaching, high ranking Palestinian security officers met their Israeli counterparts on Monday to discuss coordinating the disengagement plan.

The meeting - the first of its kind in the run up to the withdrawal - took place at the Erez crossing, the main entry point into Israel from Gaza for Palestinians.

Under the disengagement plan, Israel will dismantle all 21 settlements in Gaza and four small West Bank communities.

About 9,000 settlers are to be moved from their homes - a majority of them oppose the plan, but it is not known how many will try and resist the pullout.