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To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, October 5, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
   <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Oct. 5, 2000 / Tishrei 6, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. VIOLENCE LAST NIGHT, TODAY, AND TOMORROW
   2. ARAFAT DIDN'T SIGN
   3.  LET'S TALK UNITY
   4. MERIDOR STANDS RIGHT
   5. CLOSING ROADS - INSTEAD OF OPENING THEM
   6. IN BRIEF

1. VIOLENCE LAST NIGHT, TODAY, AND TOMORROW
The ceasefire promised by Arafat in the Rosh HaShanah Arab Assault does not seem to be holding - and a Tanzim leader said today that a decision has been made to "militarily clash" with the IDF in a Palestinian city tomorrow.  Fatah leaders have called on their members to arrive and demonstrate at the mosque on the Temple Mount tomorrow.

An Israeli from Tiberias was moderately injured late this afternoon when he was attacked by an Israeli-Arab mob near Beit Rimon; the Arabs shot on his car and threw rocks at him.  Heavy fire is being exchanged outside Netzarim, after Arabs resumed their assault on Israeli troops there this afternoon.  Two Arabs were shot and killed while climbing the roof of an Israeli outpost at the Netzarim Junction.  The Arabs have stationed ambulances - which they know will not be targeted by the Israelis - at the site, but have been seen removing ready-made firebombs from the ambulances and throwing them in the direction of the Israelis.

Shots were also fired on IDF soldiers in Kalkilye, as well as on Hevron's Beit HaShishah; one of the bullets penetrated a room in a home there.  The wave of Arab-ignited blazes continued with new cases of arson in the north this afternoon, and to date has claimed some 9,000 dunams of Israeli landscape.

At least 23 rock-throwing incidents were registered in the towns of Ramle and Lod in the past 30 hours.

Last night:

Shots were fired at the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo; at least one bullet penetrated a home, but no one was injured.  A resident there said this was not the first shooting there, "but only the first one that actually hit..."

Heavy exchanges of fire were registered at Psagot and Joseph's Tomb in Shechem...

Shots were fired at Kiryat Arba and Jewish homes in Hevron, as well as at Dugit, N'vei Dekalim, and Morag in Gush Katif...

Travel to and from Netzarim is only via helicopter; the commander of the IDF brigade in northern Gaza told Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler that he hopes that within days, land transportation to Netzarim will go back to normal; "if not, then sooner or later, we will open the roads..."

Earlier today, the IDF took in-the-field measures for the "cease-fire:"  It withdrew its forces from the Ayosh Junction - within Israeli-controlled territory, immediately north of Ramallah - which
was the scene of several intense battles over the past few days, and closed it to Israeli traffic.  Beit El residents, who normally use the Israeli-controlled intersection to drive to and from home, are being routed through a nearby army camp instead.  After Israeli and Palestinian officers met today to discuss ceasefire arrangements, IDF tanks were also withdrawn from other recent battle zones, such as Psagot, Netzarim, the Bethlehem region, and N'vei Dekalim.

2. ARAFAT DIDN'T SIGN
A frustrated and somewhat humiliated Israeli delegation returned home this morning from Paris, after Yasser Arafat did not show up for the signing of the cease-fire agreement on which the Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians worked all night.  Arafat continues to demand the establishment of an international commission of inquiry about the past week's violence.

Upon his return to Israel, Prime Minister Barak reported to his Cabinet that despite the lack of an agreement, Arafat had "unequivocally committed himself, to the U.S., to halt the disturbances on the Palestinian side, including shooting by the Tanzim and Palestinian policemen at IDF forces."  [The Tanzim is a quasi-military Fatah militia whose members, all of whom were imprisoned by Israel in the intifada, initiate and organize confrontations against Israel, not solely controlled by Arafat.]

Barak also said, "We have witnessed during the past days hundreds of [Palestinian] violations of all the agreements which have been signed with them, starting with the existence of armed militias and ending in the use of live fire...  It is not clear whether we in fact have a partner for peace [in Arafat], and unfortunately, the time has not yet come for us to beat our swords into plowshares."

Makor Rishon correspondent Riki Shushan, who accompanied Barak to Paris and back, reported afterwards, "This was a very humiliating night for Barak - no one ever humiliated him like [French President] Chirac and Arafat did last night.  Immediately after word of an agreement was released in the U.S. Embassy in the middle of the night, Arafat walked out in anger, saying, 'You're not respecting me!' Albright ran after him, begging him to stay, just like little kids - it was unbelievable.  Arafat didn't stop, so then Albright ordered the gates locked so that he would not be able to get out!  Later, after everyone had left, they then returned again to the Embassy, where they were all supposed to sign the agreement - they were all standing around waiting for Arafat, but it turned out that he simply decided not to show up!  This was a big slap in the face for Albright and the U.S.  Chirac and Arafat worked together against the Americans and
Israelis."  Barak security-aide Danny Yatom confirmed that Chirac had worked to convince Arafat to stand firm in his demands for an international investigation.

Yasser Arafat and U.S. Secretary of State Albright met in Sharm a-Sheikh with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today - without Prime Minister Barak.  No "breakthrough" was reported.  Albright has transmitted an invitation to all the negotiating teams to arrive in Washington next Tuesday.

3.  LET'S TALK UNITY
Talk of an emergency national-unity government is once again the order of the day, and Prime Minister Barak is likely to initiate the idea within a few weeks.  A senior Prime Ministerial aide said that the idea would be actualized if it becomes clear that Israel has no partner for peace.

The proposal was first raised today by Communications Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and was soon seconded by Shas leader Eli Yeshai, MK Michael Kleiner (Herut), Likud members - and even President Moshe Katzav.  Opposition leader Ariel Sharon has not committed himself one way or another, saying today that though he has been briefed continually by Barak, they did not discuss political options.  Sharon said he would back Barak for as long as he stands firm against the Palestinian violence.

The opposition parties have agreed to work together regarding the possibility of a national-unity government.  During a meeting of opposition representatives this afternoon, each party agreed to inform the others in the event that One Israel invites it to join such a government, but they did not commit themselves to take a unanimous course of action in such a case.  National Religious Party MK Sha'ul Yahalom said that his party would be likely to accept such an invitation, on condition that the diplomatic process changes and the secular revolution is put to rest.

One Israel MK Avi Yechezkel explained to Arutz-7 today what he felt would be the agenda of such a unity government:  "If there is even a slight possibility for a peace agreement, then let Barak - we'll assume he'll still be Prime Minister - try to reach that agreement.  But if it turns out that there is no such chance, then let's turn our joint attention to a new agenda - social, civil, settlement - and solve the problems that we have here at home..."

4. MERIDOR STANDS RIGHT
MK Dan Meridor (Center party), Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was harshly critical today of Prime Minister Barak's decision to negotiate with Arafat in Paris while shooting was still going on.  The former Likud member said: 

"The Palestinians must be made to pay a price for their violence... We must not hold talks at all with them when they make a changeover from the negotiating table to street violence...  We have now moved to a new phase, which we might not be realizing, just as happened in the beginning of the intifada.  Until [last week], the terrorism was always being perpetrated by Hamas and the like - but now it's being done by the exact people with whom we are talking!  This must be a red light, one that stops the process.  We must not allow ourselves to become accustomed to this reality - of shooting on Jerusalem, and people locked in their homes, and people getting food only by helicopter...  [In answer to a question:] Yes, I think Arafat can
control the violence - but if he can't, then why are we talking with him?"

Meridor denied that there was any connection between Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount last week and the violence:  "So they didn't like his visit - so what?  Do we like everything that they do?  Barak has said many times that we will not give up on that which is holy to Israel, and the Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world to the Jewish people."

5. CLOSING ROADS -  INSTEAD OF OPENING THEM
Gush Etzion Regional Council chief Sha'ul Goldstein commented today on the army's decision to close roads that are threatened by Arab violence:  "The closing of the Tunnels Road - the connection between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem - and the other road closings are a scandal of the first order.  The government must wake up and order the army to station tanks facing and threatening Beit Jalla [the Arab village from which shots were fired on Jewish targets].  What, guns should cause a major Israeli artery to close down?  This brings us back 52 years!"

Hevron Jewish Community spokesman David Wilder similarly commented,

"In many cases the Israeli army, rather than try to insure security on the roads, simply closes them.  One of the most ludicrous instances concerns the trans-Judea highway, leading from Hebron to Ashkelon via Kiryat Gat.  This road also provides easy access to Beit Shemesh, bypassing Jerusalem.  A few miles out of Hebron is the Halhul bridge that crosses over the road from above. This bridge is under total Arafat-control, while the road below is under Israeli control.  For the past week, Arabs have been using the bridge to bombard any moving vehicle with Israeli license plates traveling under it.  Rather than send in Israeli troops to take over the bridge, or rather than use one missile to take the bridge down, Israel has closed the road.  This, because the road is in "Arafat territory" and Israeli prefers not to 'react too harshly' to the continued attacks..."

Yesha residents blocked the Ofrah-Psagot road to Arab traffic for several hours yesterday, saying, "If we can't travel freely on the roads, then why should the Palestinians be able to?"

6. IN BRIEF

The Palestinian Authority has released, over the past 24 hours, twelve Hamas terrorists from prison.  Security elements fear renewed terrorist attacks...

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To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, October 6, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 / Tishrei 7, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. ISRAEL RETREATS FOR A DAY; ARABS CLAIM IT'S PERMANENT
   2. OUTRAGE
   3. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END?
   4. HEAVY VIOLENCE AT OTHER FLASHPOINTS
   5. BURNING DOWN ISRAEL'S FORESTS
   6. IN THE ARAB WORLD

1. ISRAEL RETREATS FOR A DAY; ARABS CLAIM IT'S PERMANENT
Israel decided to entrust full control over the Temple Mount today to the hands of the Moslem Waqf and Arab security personnel.  The Barak government decided that no Israeli policemen would be stationed on the Temple Mount or in the alleys leading to it, in order not to avoid a clash that could lead to bloodshed.  Police leaders said their presence on the Mount would have led to dozens of Arab deaths, as well as another week of violence.

For the first time, armed PLO policemen guarded the gates of the holy site and oversaw the entry of Muslim worshippers - whom they did not limit in any way, despite an Israeli police recommendation that teen-aged Arabs not be allowed to enter.  "Protection of the gates and sovereignty of the Mount was given to PA Security Chief Jibril Rajoub," in the words of MK Benny Elon (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu), who was an eyewitness to today's events in the area.

Elon also said that it was agreed beforehand between Rajoub and the Israelis that Arabs on the Mount would be allowed to throw stones "in a supervised manner, for 3-5 minutes" from the Mount over to the Kotel [Western Wall] below.  The police had originally announced that Jews would not be allow to the Western Wall area today, but in actuality, a relatively small amount of Jews did pray there.  The police evacuated them from the Wall when the stone-throwing started; the Jews returned to pray there after a few minutes.  MK Elon said that he refused to
leave, and in fact suffered a small wound from a rock that hit him.

Center Party MK Dan Meridor, a former Likud government minister and presently the Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, sharply attacked the police decision to abandon security to the PA:  "The Palestinian Authority has no business being anywhere that is under Israeli sovereignty.  If the police choose to stand on this side of the gates or on that side, that's their decision.  But in no way should the PA have been allowed to have a part in preserving order there."

Senior police officials expressed rage at Barak's decision to hand over Temple Mount security to the PLO, but they agreed to follow government orders.  They later defended the decision.

Young Arab participants in the riots told journalists on the scene that "we have conquered the Temple Mount, and we will not give it back."  Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler reports, however, that Israeli police generally do not patrol on the Temple Mount during Friday prayer services, but merely stand at the gates.  The difference today was that they stood 50 meters away; "they are not likely to return to their usual positions until the end of the current violence," said Finkler.

2. OUTRAGE
Opposition leaders responded with anger at today's abandonment of the Temple Mount.  Likud MK Ruby Rivlin said that the decision to remove all uniformed police was "a disaster" and will cause the PLO to use the same tactics to achieve additional Israeli giveaways.  Jewish groups working for a Jewish presence on the Temple Mount are worried that the removal of Israeli police from the Mount will become permanent.  The Yesha Council announced that Barak's promises to safeguard all Israeli holy sites are hollow.

On the other hand, Palestinian Radio said today that there is no difference between Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, and Binyamin Netanyahu - "they are all settlers who are trying to conquer our land."

3. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END?
The sum-up was, "It could have been much, much worse" - but it was still quite bad.  After the Moslem prayer service on the Mount, hundreds of Arabs on their way out launched an offensive against Israel's Lion's Gate police station 100 meters from the east side of the Mount.  The station had earlier suffered great damage when Arabs hurled huge stone blocks through its roof, destroying computers and other equipment.  Now, however, it was burnt down by the Arabs, who came close to killing eight policemen inside.  Faced by a hail of bricks, bottles, and metal objects, the Israeli policemen locked the doors; the Arabs then surrounded the building and threw in burning rags and a tear-gas grenade.  With fire and tear-gas on the inside, and Arab mobs beating on the structure from the outside, the policemen radioed for help.  Back-up forces arrived, shot their way into the station, and found two policemen unconscious; the other six were
suffering from breathing difficulties.  They retreated 20-40 meters away from the area, and journalists filmed Palestinian Arabs proudly standing next to the burnt police station.  The station is presently under the control of neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians.

The Arabs began the attack on the police station by throwing bricks, bottles, and metal objects, while shouting, "Continue on Until Jaffa, Haifa, and Tel Aviv!" and "Death to the Jews!"  The total number of injured Israeli police was reported at 12, while the number of Palestinian rioters who were hurt was 24.  Several foreign journalists were hurt as well.  Palestinians reported that two Arabs were killed.

The Moslem sermon on the Temple Mount today included the following supplications: "We want the battle against the enemy to be orderly.  We want dead amidst the enemy.  We want to kill and not be killed.  We must fight guerilla warfare."

Later in the afternoon, rock-throwing over the Wall down to the worshippers below continued.  Additional policemen were injured in an Arab riot inside the narrow streets of the Old City.

4. HEAVY VIOLENCE AT OTHER FLASHPOINTS
 In the Gush Katif area of Gaza, large riots are underway at three different locations.  Mobs of Arabs - estimated at between 6,000 and 10,000 rioters - are lined along the fences of the Jewish community of N'vei Dekalim, throwing firebombs and stones.  The IDF is firing warning shots into the air.  At the Netzarim junction, 1,000 Arabs are gathered, firing occasional gunshots at the IDF outpost, and throwing firebombs.  The IDF is retaliating with selective gunfire aimed at the PLO gunmen.   A third and new venue of rioting is at Nisanit in northern Gaza, where hundreds of Arabs are participating.  IDF forces did not totally succeed in their efforts to blow up a PLO outpost near the Netzarim junction.  The Israeli bomb squad took down
one wall of the PLO headquarters there.  Piles of ammunition were inside.

 Palestinian sources say that four Arabs were killed today, including two  in Shechem...

 Jewish residents from the Shilo area blocked Arab cars on the main north-south road in Samaria.  They claimed that they would not tolerate restrictions only on Jewish traffic.  Jews in Gaza planned to do the same, but were convinced not to do so by police...  Riots and violence are taking place in several other places throughout Judea and Samaria, and journalists on the scene report that it is feared that it will only get worse by the end of the day.

5. BURNING DOWN ISRAEL'S FORESTS
Large forest fires continues to rage near Nataf, in the green hills west of Jerusalem.  Tens of fire-fighters are on the scene.  The same firemen spent the night putting out another fire near the Beit-Iksa Arab Village, just west of Jerusalem's Ramot neighborhood.  Jewish National Fund spokesman said today that all of the forest fires over the past few days were cases of Arab arson.

6. IN THE ARAB WORLD
The Syrian government newspaper Al-Ba'ath calls Israeli leaders "neo-Nazis."  The paper writes, "The crimes of Barak's soldiers have surpassed those of the Nazis in World War II..."  A lead article this week called Ariel Sharon, Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak "murderers, criminals, and racists," and proclaimed that the myth that Barak is a "man of peace" has been proven false.

Thousands of Iranians shouted "Death to Israel" and burned Israeli flags in a giant demonstration in Tehran yesterday afternoon.  The gathering was called as an act of solidarity with what they called the "new Intifada."  Hamas leader Haled Mishal called for a Jihad [Moslem holy war] against Israel.

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To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Sunday, October 8, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Oct. 8, 2000 / Tishrei 9, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. TENSE QUIET THIS MORNING
   2. ARAB-THROWN STONE KILLS ISRAELI CITIZEN
   3. THREE SOLDIERS KIDNAPPED
   4. TERRORISTS ATTACK ISRAELI BUS NEAR RAFIAH
   5. ARABS BURN JOSEPH'S TOMB
   6. YESHA RESIDENT IS MISSING

1. TENSE QUIET THIS MORNING
A tense quiet reigns throughout most of Israel today, as the country waits to see whether Prime Minister Barak's 48-hour warning to Arafat will have an effect.  Barak said last night that it is very likely that Israel no longer has a peace partner, but he is giving Arafat 48 hours to cease the violence.  If it does not stop, Barak warned, the IDF would respond with all its force.  Palestinian sources have said that they will not give in to Barak's threats, and that if the diplomatic process has died, "it was at the hands of Barak."  Israel Television reported last night, in the name of several "furious" government ministers, that the 48-hour decision was made by Barak without consulting with them.

Communications Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a former senior army commander, says that Israel is in a situation of war, and that it is clear to him now that the negotiating process has ended.

The lack of a U.S. veto of the UN resolution against Israel has embittered many officials in the Israeli government.  Staffers in the Prime Minister's Office say that Barak feels "betrayed" by Clinton, and that Clinton has "stabbed him in the back," by not vetoing the UN resolution condemning Israel for the war that has been foisted upon it.  Political commentators have said for weeks that much of Clinton's recent political and diplomatic strategies have been guided by his desire not to lose Jewish support for either his wife Hilary's New York Senate race or the Gore-Lieberman Presidential race; the non-veto is apparently a departure from this practice, as it is assumed that the support of pro-Israeli votes in both campaigns will make their feelings known.

The official U.S. explanation for the non-veto is that it would have prevented the Americans from acting as a mediator between Israel and the Arabs.  The Americans are even now attempting to arrange a meeting between Arafat and Barak for immediately after Yom Kippur.

2. ARAB-THROWN STONE KILLS ISRAELI CITIZEN
An Israeli citizen was murdered on the Coastal Road Expressway between Haifa and Tel Aviv when a large stone block crashed into the car in which he was travelling.  The block hit him in the chest and killed him as the car passed by the Israeli-Arab village Jisser Azarka on what is perhaps Israel's most traveled highway.  The victim, 54-year-old Jean Bechor, of Rishon Letzion, arrived at a Hadera hospital in critical condition, and efforts to save his life failed. The Arab attackers have not been apprehended.

Attacks this morning included light-weapons fire near the Jordan Valley outpost of Shadmah, and shots at an IDF position near Beit Tsahour between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  A cease-fire was reportedly reached in Gaza, after the IDF destroyed several Palestinian command post buildings at the Netzarim junction.

3. THREE SOLDIERS KIDNAPPED
Prime Minister Barak visited the site today from where Hizbullah yesterday kidnapped three Israel soldiers on a routine patrol near Har Dov on the Lebanese-Israeli border.  The terrorists took advantage of the lack of a border fence in the area.  Prime Minister Barak was reminded by reporters last night that during the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon last May, he had promised to react with a "strong arm" and the bombing of vital Lebanese infrastructures in the event of post-withdrawal Lebanese violence against Israel. When asked if he
plans to fulfill this promise, Barak said that for understandable reasons, he could not go into details about Israel's retaliatory plans.  He continued today with his policy of silence on the matter.

Former GSS head Yaakov Peri, who has been entrusted with the handling of contacts regarding the three captured soldiers, hinted that Israel would negotiate when he said that Israel would not enter into any contacts with Hizbullah unless a sign that the three were alive and well was received.  Negotiations have reportedly begun with German mediators.  Barak said that he sees Syria as bearing supreme responsibility for the soldiers' welfare.

4. TERRORISTS ATTACK ISRAELI BUS NEAR RAFIAH
Palestinian Arab terrorists opened fire on a busload of Israeli workers returning from their shift at the Rafiah terminal on the Israeli-Egyptian border shortly before midnight last night.  Five
Israelis sustained light injuries, but another three were severely wounded and were evacuated by helicopter to Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.  The shooting apparently originated from within the Palestinian airport, and it continued upon IDF troops who arrived on the scene shortly after the attack.  Exchanges of fire followed.  Prime Minister Barak ordered the Dahaniya airport, which services the Arabs of Gaza, closed to all air traffic, except for Arafat's personal plane.

5. ARABS BURN JOSEPH'S TOMB
Early yesterday morning, the government ordered the army to retreat from Joseph's Tomb in Shechem.  An agreement had been reached with Palestinian Authority officials there, but the latter proved unable - or unwilling - to keep their end of the agreement.  A mob of Arabs ransacked the holy site - which served as a yeshiva for over 20 years until this past week - and then burnt it down, and even took apart the stone dome marking the grave of the Biblical Joseph.  Even Oslo-architect Shimon Peres had criticism last night for Arafat and the behavior of the Palestinians in Shechem.  Peres said, "The Palestinians made a terrible mistake in Joseph's Tomb.  They pulled the rug out from under their feet regarding their demand for control of the holy places, by showing that they don't know how to preserve and respect them."

During the Israeli retreat from the holy spot that PLO gunners had targeted for the past week - and where an Israeli soldier died of his wounds several days ago - one Border Guard policeman was shot in the face, and was wounded moderately. The retreating soldiers removed all holy items, including Torah scrolls, prayer books, and Jewish texts, before surrendering the site to the PLO.  It marked the first time that Israel had evacuated its forces from Yesha in the face of Palestinian violence.  Barak and other top officials implied that the evacuation was only "temporary."  It was later reported that Arafat had given an order to restore the holy site to some semblance of normalcy, although the extent of his authority in Shechem is not absolute.

6. YESHA RESIDENT IS MISSING
The whereabouts of Hillel Lieberman, 36, from Elon Moreh near Shechem, continue to be a mystery.  He arrived at Sabbath prayer services in his hometown at 8 AM yesterday morning, and upon hearing of the burning down of Joseph's Tomb, he turned around and left the synagogue.  Lieberman is one of the founders and administrators of the Yeshiva at the site, and in the words of a fellow townsman, "he has a very deep personal connection to the holy site."  When he did not return within a few hours, search parties from the town were dispatched.  An IDF helicopter participated in the search, but residents say that the search has not been carried out in full-force.  After morning Shabbat services, a large group of Elon Moreh residents walked towards Shechem and conducted a quiet protest prayer vigil for the destroyed holy site.  Friends of Lieberman, a United States citizen and a father of five, say that they last saw him walking in the direction of the town's exit.

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