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DATE=10/01/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS (L)

NUMBER=2-267314

BYLINE=ROSS DUNN

DATELINE=JERUSALEM

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The violence that began four-days ago at a site in Jerusalem holy to Muslims and Jews has now spread to Arab villages in Israel. At least 22 Palestinians have been killed, as well as one Israeli Arab. Two Israeli soldiers have also died. Ross Dunn has more on the story.

TEXT: /// OPEN WITH AMBIENT SOUND OF GUNFIRE AND SIRENS ///

From Jerusalem's Mount of Olives to the Galilee, and across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli security forces are struggling against a wave of rioting by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs.

In Nazareth and several other villages in northern Israel, Arab demonstrators hurled stones at Israeli troops and shouted - death to the Jews.

Gun battles between Palestinians and Israeli security forces also raged outside a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and in Nablus in the West Bank. Israeli military helicopters fired on Palestinian police and demonstrators in Nablus in an effort to disperse the rioters.

A fierce gun battle also erupted in the town of Ramallah where Israeli snipers commandeered a hotel to fire down on Palestinian gunmen.

Palestinians say that the violence was triggered Thursday by what they say was a - provocative - visit by the right-wing Israeli opposition leader, Ariel Sharon, to the Haram Sharif Islamic compound in Jerusalem.

Palestinians say that Mr. Sharon was attempting to assert Israeli sovereignty over the shrine, which is also known as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in the Jewish world.

But at a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel's Internal Security Minister, Shlomo Ben-Ami, says he is convinced the violence is not spontaneous. He believes senior Palestinian officials are behind the clashes.

/// BEN-AMI ACT ///

(I do believe) that they were in great part orchestrated from above, probably in the hope that a certain degree of violence may serve a short-term political purpose. It is a sad reflection on the situation, that Israel's capacity to captivate world opinion by the boldness of its peace policy should be countered by an attitude that assumes that clashes such as those we saw in the last days may improve bargaining positions.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Ben Ami says Israelis and Palestinians should not allow extremists to destroy efforts to resolve their conflict through a negotiated settlement. He says he will not allow the fighting to derail the peace talks. (SIGNED)

NEB/RD/DW/RAE