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DATE=10/13/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=

TITLE=ISRAEL / U-N (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: A senior Israeli official says an upcoming emergency session of the U-N Human Rights Commission on Palestine will be counter-productive to international efforts to restart the Mideast peace process. Lisa Schlein reports the session, which will take place next week in Geneva, will examine alleged atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinians.

TEXT: The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yaakov Levy, describes the meeting of the U-N Human Rights Commission as unhelpful and divisive. He says the focus at this time should be on working with the United Nations secretary-general and world leaders to end the violence and to restart the Israeli- Palestinian peace negotiations.

/// 1st LEVY ACT ///

Any activity, any deliberations which would

distract us from this major goal are not viewed

by us as constructive. And therefore, we would

see such deliberations -- attempting to blast

Israel, to put the blame on her shoulders -- we

would see those efforts as inopportune, as not

constructive.

/// END ACT ///

Arab states who requested the emergency meeting are expected to ask the U-N Human Rights commission to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate the actions of Israeli forces. Mr. Levy says Israel opposes such an inquiry. He says his government believes it would be unfair and would detract from the need to calm the volatile situation in the Middle East.

/// 2nd LEVY ACT ///

Chances are that an international commission of

inquiry would focus on the past, try to lay

blame, and would be tilted and biased. We are

in favor of examining the situation, finding the

facts, with one goal: preventing their

recurrence.

///END ACT///

With that goal in mind, Mr. Levy says Israel is working with the Americans, the Palestinians and the United Nations on an agreed mechanism to check the facts surrounding the riots so they do not happen again.

/// REST OPT ///

The Israeli Ambassador reiterates his government's position that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat can stop the violence, by telling his troops and police forces to cease fire. (Signed)

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