Military

DATE=11/06/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ISRAEL / PALSTINIANS (L)

NUMBER=2-268883

BYLINE=MEREDITH BUEL

DATELINE=JERUSALEM

CONTENT=

VOICE AT:

INTRO: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is rejecting a call by Palestinian leaders for an international protection force to stop violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As V-O-A Correspondent Meredith Buel reports from Jerusalem, Palestinians say they need the protection after weeks of clashes with Israeli soldiers.

TEXT: Prime Minister Barak says Israel is opposed to an international peacekeeping force to end the violence in the Palestinian territories.

/// BARAK ACT ///

An international presence will become eventually a reward to the Palestinian violence. We do not believe that such presence can help reduce violence and in a way might contribute to more excuses or ways for the Palestinian side to complicate things.

/// END ACT ///

Palestinian officials are calling for international intervention to protect Palestinians after weeks of violent clashes with Israeli soldiers.

Mr. Barak says Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has made an effort to calm the situation, but both sides accuse each other of not fully implementing details of a truce agreement reached last week.

The top Palestinian official in Jerusalem, Faisal Husseini, says an international peacekeeping force is necessary to protect the Palestinians.

/// HUSSEINI ACT ///

We cannot leave ourselves under the mercy of the Israelis. The future of our land, the future of our people, it cannot be left under the mercy of the Israelis. So we are in need of international assistance, international protection, which will assure us that no changes on the ground will be implemented until we will reach the agreement that is supposed to be reached between us and the Israelis.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Arafat is scheduled to meet President Clinton in Washington on Thursday and Mr. Barak is due to hold talks with Mr. Clinton a few days later.

Prime Minister Barak says he hopes the meetings will help stabilize the situation in the Palestinian territories.

/// BARAK ACT TWO ///

In regards to Washington, we are going there in order to help the president, if it's needed, to support the American effort to put an end to the violence and to stabilize the situation on the ground.

/// END ACT ///

More than 170 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed since violence between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers erupted in late September. (SIGNED)

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