Military

DATE=11/2/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=UN/ISRAEL (L-O)

BYLINE=BARBARA SCHOETZAU

DATELINE= NEW YORK

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Israeli Foreign Minister Schlomo Ben-Ami says today's (Thursday's) bombing in Jerusalem confirms Israel's contention that by its actions the Palestinian Authority has encouraged terrorism. The Israeli official made the comment after meeting with Secretary General Kofi Anana at United Nations' headquarters in New York. Correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has a report.

TEXT: Mr. Ben-Ami says the Palestinian Authority's decision to release several members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad from prison gave the go-ahead to terrorists.

Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for Thursday's car-bomb explosion in Jerusalem, which killed two Israelis.

//// BEN-AMI ACT ////

It is very sad that we needed this terrorist attack in the heart of Jerusalem to prove our point. Nevertheless, we would like to stick to the understandings of Sharm el-Sheik, understandings that were further underlined and emphasized yesterday in a meeting between Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat.

//// END ACT ////

Speaking with U-N correspondents, after a meeting with U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan, the Israeli Foreign Minister said Israel intends to stick with the Middle East summit agreement reached at Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, last month. Mr. Ben-Ami says he rejected, during his discussion with the Secretary General, a Palestinian proposal for a U-N force to protect Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza.

//// BEN-AMI ACT ////

I made it clear to him that there is no need at all for any kind of international force. We have been until the last month in the middle of a peace process. In fact, a peace process had been in existence in the Middle East for the last seven years. The only thing that we need to do now is simply to cease violence, to observe the Sharm -el Sheik memorandum and get back to the business of peace making.

//// END ACT ///

The Israeli Foreign Minister says U-N and Red Cross officials have not yet made any progress in their efforts to secure the release of three Israeli soldiers being held by Hizbollah terrorists in Lebanon.

In a statement issued by a U-N spokesperson, Secretary General Annan condemned the Jerusalem bombing and said those who use terrorism to oppose peace "should not deter the parties from making every effort to return to the negotiating table." (Signed)

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