From: Eddie Chumney
To:      heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Israel in the News

                            ISRAEL IN THE NEWS
                                July 12-25, 1999

TEMPLE MOUNT

TEMPLE MOUNT FAITHFUL CALLS UPON THE MASSES TO ASCEND TO TEMPLE
MOUNT ON TISHA B'AV IsraelWire-7/20

The Temple Mount Faithful organization has once again called upon the
masses to come to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, wearing
sackcloth, marking the day of mourning for the destruction of the
First and Second Temples.  "Come and assist in returning the glory
and splendor to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and the entire country,"
reads the Temple Mout release.

On Thursday, Tisha B'Av, participants will meet at 9:00am at the
Western Wall Plaza, near the Mugrabi Gate, which leads to the Temple
Mount.  Once again they will attempt to offer their prayers on the
Mount, despite objections by Moslem officials entrusted to protect the
site by the government of Israel.

FUNDRAISING UNDERWAY FOR THIRD TEMPLE
IsraelWire- 7/20

Temple Mount activists are stepping-up efforts to regain control of
the Temple Mount  and begin efforts towards the construction of the
Third Temple.  Efforts by Chai Vekaiyam leader Yehuda Etzion and
other Temple Mount activists brought about the first meeting which
was held several weeks ago in Jerusalem in the hope of launching the
"Temple Treasury" project to begin raising funds for the construction
of the Third Temple.  Also involved in the project are Yoel Lerner and
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel and leaders of the Temple Mount Faithful
organization.

Etzion, who has been at the forefront of the battle to regain Jewish
control of the Temple Mount, the site of the First and Second Temple,
points out that Jewish law dictates that the Jewish people make
preparations for the building of the final temple.  This, he
explains, includes the raising of the necessary funds to undertake
the project.  He explained the monies collected would be traded
for gold, which must be set aside for the time when construction
could get underway. Etzion added the project would increase awareness
among Jews, with many then asking themselves,

"What have I done today to bring the construction closer to becoming a reality?"

In June 1967, Israel liberated the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount,
the holiest site to the Jewish people, but saw fitting to place
control of the site in the hands of the Moslem Wakf, which until
today, has barred Jews from praying on the Mount and denying them
Freedom of Worship.  The High Court of Justice has repeatedly called
to permit Jews to pray on the Mount, but has always placed the final
decision in the hands of Israel police  permitting the cancellation
of Jewish prayer at anytime police thought the public safety may be
compromised.

To date, police have always used the clause to deny Jews permission
to pray on the Mount and the Wakf threats of violence in light of any
attempts by Jews to pray have succeeded in keeping the area off
limits to Jewish worshippers.

Etzion and his followers as well as the Temple Mount Faithful
organization, continue to call for the expulsion of the Wakf and
demand the government of Israel take control of the Holy Site, and
once again cleanse it of foreign deities and begin preparations for
the construction of the Third Temple.

RAISING FUNDS FOR THE THIRD TEMPLE
By Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz July 20, 1999

Third temple activists are planning a "temple treasury" conference to
raise funds for a third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The first fundraising meeting, a small affair of only a few dozen
participants, was held several weeks ago under a veil of secrecy in a
Jerusalem hotel.  Participating were Rabbi Israel Ariel, Yehuda
Etzion, Yoel Lerner, and activists from the "Chai Vekayam," "El Har
Hashem," and the Faithful of the Temple Mount - all groups involved
in preparations for building a third temple.

The temple treasury organization, founded by Yehuda Etzion, produced
flyers for attendees of its first meeting that called on the Jewish
people "to fulfill their responsibility to rebuild the temple; that
responsibility lies on our shoulders at every moment, even if it
requires certain preparations."

"In any case," said the leaflet, "we must do what we can right now,
and that is to prepare... Therefore we commit ourselves to raise
funds for the temple anew.  All funds donated to the treasury will be
traded for gold...  which will be saved until the temple is ready for
construction."

Etzion explained the triple purpose of the establishment of the fund
as follows.  First of all, he said, it is a practical move; second,
an educational tactic, and third, fulfillment of a personal desire. 
"When any Jew asks himself, 'What have I done today towards the
rebuilding of the temple?' he will have an answer: I have put a coin
in the treasury."

TEMPLE MOUNT FAITHFUL RECEIVES COURT APPROVAL FOR GROUP VISITS TO
MOUNT IsraelWire- 7-21

Once again, the High Court of Justice has ruled that members and
followers of the Temple Mount Faithful organization may alight to the
holy site on Thursday, Tisha B'Av.

Jerusalem Police District Commander Yair Yitzhaki stated that
permitting Jews on the Mount to pray would be deemed "provocative" by
the Moslem Wakf and possibly lead to violence. Therefore, Temple
Mount Faithful followers will only be permitted in pairs, not in
groups and would not be allowed to recite any prayers.

The court did not accept Yitzhaki's position   explaining the ruling
handed down in 1994 sought to find a balance between maintaining
public order and permitting persons the right of Freedom of
Worship.  The court reinforced the right of Jews to visit the site on
Tisha B'Av, the location of the First and Second Temples.  Police
have indicated they would abide by the court's ruling permitting
small groups to visit the Mount but declined to indicate how many
persons would be permitted to enter the complex at one time.

POLICE ALLOW JEWS ON TEMPLE MOUNT TODAY
By Margot Dudkevitch Jerusalem Post Jerusalem (July 22)

Jerusalem police will allow groups of Jews to visit the Temple Mount
today, but stressed that police chief Cmdr.  Yair Yitzhaki will
change this, if necessary, after assessing the situation.

"Police will allow Jewish residents to enter the Temple Mount in
accordance with Monday's High Court ruling," Sigal Toledo, the
assistant police spokeswoman, said.  "But as every year, the
regional police commander will assess the situation and will
determine if any changes are to be made."

Adnan Husseini, director of the Wakf, said officials will not allow
"extremists" to enter, but that they will rely on the judgment of
Israeli policemen at the site.  "The High Court ruling is an Israeli
decision, however the Aksa Mosque is a Moslem site and we have our
own court to decide issues concerning us.  We will beef up our
presence as we usually do in such circumstances, and hope
the day will be peaceful," he said.  "The people responsible for the
massacre on the Temple Mount in 1990 will not be allowed to enter,
the blood that was spilled is still on the ground," he added.

Husseini said visitors can enter the Temple Mount from 7:30 to 11
each morning and then in the afternoon from 1:30 to 3.  The site, he
said, is closed during prayers.

Ted Plavin, of Elkana, was one of a group of 10 from the community
who, after reading yesterday's Jerusalem Post article about the court
ruling, decided to visit the site. The group, he said, arrived
shortly before 9 yesterday morning and police allowed three at a time to
enter. Plavin said that there were about thirty Jews waiting to enter
the site.  A group of yeshiva students from Kiryat Arba, which had
arrived earlier, were allowed in before his group.

 "We are not extremists, but believe that the area is an important
Jewish historical site and those wishing to should be allowed to
enter," he said.

It took nearly two hours of waiting before he and two others were
escorted by a police man and two Wakf officials into the compound, he
said.  As they waited outside, groups of tourists were allowed to
enter without any problem.  "I don't understand why it is necessary
to discriminate against those wearing kippot.  Hundreds of tourists
were let in without any problem, while we were forced to wait in line
outside under the hot sun," he said.

TEMPLE MOUNT FAITHFUL BARRED FROM TEMPLE MOUNT ON TISHA B'AV BY
ISRAEL POLICE IsraelWire-7/22

Despite a ruling by the High Court of Justice permitting activists of
the Temple Mount Faithful organization to visit the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem's Old City on Tisha B'Av, Jerusalem police exercised their
prerogative stopping the worshipers from doing so.  Assistant
Commander Ra'anan Tal, who commands the David Station responsible for
the Mount, told reporters that he could not permit the Jewish
worshipers to come onto the Mount, a move that would spark Islamic
violence. The police commander informed the group he was making his
decision despite the High Court ruling.  At the same time, Islamic
Wakf officials announced the closing of the Temple Mount to
visitors, citing Wednesday's confrontation with right-wing activists
who were distributing leaflets in the area as the cause.

YITZHAKI BLAMES KACH ACTIVISTS FOR BARRING JEWISH WORSHIPERS ON
TISHA B'AV IsraelWire-7/22

The commander of the Jerusalem District of the Israel Police, Yair
Yitzhaki, on Thursday stated he would have permitted Temple Mount
Faithful activists to go up to the Temple Mount as ruled by the High
Court of Justice if not for the actions of the Kach activists on Wednesday
Yitzhaki explained the distribution of leaflets calling for the
removal of the Arabs from the Temple Mount by Kach activists on
Wednesday led to Wakf Authority officials to close the Mount to
visitors on Thursday.  He explained there was no alternative but to
bar Jews from attempting to go to the Mount.

NO TRACE OF "FLOW OF WATER" ON TEMPLE MOUNT
Int'l Christian Embassy Jerusalem 7/23/99

Staying on the Temple Mount, reports have been circulating in recent
weeks of a miraculous "flow of water" in or near the Dome of the Rock
Mosque that was rumored to be the stream described in chapter 47 of
the Book of Ezekiel.  Various Christian ministries in Jerusalem have
received numerous inquiries as to the accuracy of these accounts, and
- after several independent investigations - the consensus view is
that no such phenomena exists at this time.

There may be a simple explanation for these assertions of an unusual
"flow of water." The Temple Mount is a huge, raised platform
measuring approximately 920 by 1590 feet, rebuilt by Herod the
Great to hold his expanded Second Temple.  It contains more than a
dozen large underground water cisterns, some dating back to the time
of King Solomon's First Temple and mentioned in ancient Jewish
sources on temple worship.  The location and dimensions of these
cisterns have been documented by leading archaeologists, such as
Charles Warren in the 1860's.  Currently, the Muslim authorities have
designed a drainage system that collects rainwater run-off into these
cisterns.

With Israel under drought conditions this summer, a pump has been lowered into one or
more cisterns located about 70 feet north of the Dome of the Rock, with hoses then carrying
the water to outlying garden areas for watering plants.  There are
"millions of gallons of water" available for such an occasion,
according to one knowledgeable archaeologist in Jerusalem, and it is
understandable that it is being used in this manner.

Several sources that have inspected the Temple Mount as thoroughly as
possible in recent weeks -- for the express purpose of confirming the
reports of a new "water flow" -- all agree that there is nothing
unusual in sight.  These inspections included the interiors of both
the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosques.

It should be understood that any attempts to confirm such reports are
hindered by the exclusive Islamic hold on the area.  The Israel
Antiquities Authority has been reluctant to perform a detailed
survey of the Temple Mount, apparently due to concerns of upsetting
Muslim sensibilities.  Islam regards the whole compound as a holy
site, second only to Mecca and Medina, and they are particularly
opposed to allowing any efforts that might prove the existence of the
Jewish Temples and other ancient remains there.  There are also
numerous instances where existing visible remains from antiquity have
been concealed.

There also are a number of construction projects under way on the
Temple Mount, as Muslim Waqf officials have given priority to the
unauthorized expansion of two new mosques underneath
the Al Aqsa Mosque near the south end of the compound.  One is in the
underground cave rn known as Solomon's Stables, and the most recent
project is directly below Al Aqsa.  The impact these projects are
having on nearby water cisterns is difficult to assess at this time,
because of the guarded nature of the Muslim building activities.

Nonetheless, the known and unknown source(s) behind this reported
"flow of water" on the Temple Mount fitting Ezekiel 47 have failed to
provide any details specifying exactly where it is occurring, and
thus it seems it must be placed in the category of "rumor" for now.

JERUSALEM

PA/PLO PARLIAMENT BUILDING: THE GLOBE AND MAIL/ZINC
via Lee Underwood, 7/17/99

The first concrete evidence has emerged that a Palestinian Authority
(PA/PLO) parliament building is under construction on the outskirts
of East Jerusalem.  The five-story edifice has been officially
described by the PA/PLO as an office building and library.  Workers
on the site are forbidden to talk about the building's purpose and
the project is shrouded in a veil of secrecy.  But Khalil Tawfakji,
director of the office of mapping and geography in Orient House, the
PA/PLO headquarters in East Jerusalem, last week gave the first
confirmation by any Palestinian official of the true nature of the
project.  "This building is the Palestinian parliament", Mr. Tawfakji
said in an interview.  "Abu Dis will be the site of the symbols of
Palestinian statehood such as the parliament building and the office
of the president.  The Israelis have not interfered with the
construction, which indicates that a deal has already been agreed. 
There will be a safe passage to East Jerusalem from Abu Dis to enable
Muslims to pray at the mosques on the Temple Mount".

A photographer managed to evade strict around-the-clock security to
take exclusive pictures from within the future president's office,
now under construction.  "The wing housing Yasser Arafat's
office is just over the municipal boundary and is actually within
Israeli-controlled Jerusalem", said Mr.  Tawfakji.  This careful
positioning will allow Arafat to say that the capital of the Palestinian
state is in Jerusalem, even if it is only a few square meters of the city.

SAXTON ANNOUNCES JERUSALEM ACT OF 1999
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Congressional News Release

Congressman Jim Saxton (NJ3rd) unveiled a bill today to move the
American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  The
legislation, H.R.  2584 calls on President Clinton to abide by the
Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which requires the President to move
the U.S.  embassy to the Israeli capital.  An amendment to the 1995
law will seek to spur the administration in to action by eliminating
the President's authority to delay action.

"Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and Jerusalem is where the
embassy should be," said Saxton.

"Israel is the only nation in the world where the American embassy is
not located in the capital. Our failure to move the embassy
contributes to a cloud of uncertainty over Israel's future.''

The 1995 act, Public Law 10445, stated that the president should make
the move no later than May 31, 1999.  The act did give the president
waiver authority for a period of six months, with optional six-month
extensions.  The president employed the waiver on June 19.

"We have seen absolutely no progress in moving the embassy
whatsoever,'' Saxton said.

 "The delays are unacceptable.  The United States must eliminate this
uncertainty which hangs over Jerusalem's long term status." "Before
Israeli jurisdiction began in 1967, Jerusalem was not open
to all faiths,'' Saxton said.  "Since 1967, Jerusalem has been a
united city in which the religious sites of all faiths were kept open
and administered by their respective authorities.''

SENATORS URGE CLINTON TO MOVE U. S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM
Weekend News Today Source: Yahoo! Fri Jul 23,1999

84 U.S.  senators have written to President Clinton urging him to
move the U.S.  embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Reuters
reported.  ``Jerusalem is Israel's capital, a fact that should have
been recognized long ago by putting our embassy there,'' said the letter,
dated July 13 and signed by both Republicans and Democrats.  House
Speaker Dennis Hastert this week assured Barak that Congress strongly
supported his recent statement that ``a United sovereign Jerusalem is
Israel's capital and will remain so forever.''

BATTLE BETWEEN JEWS AND MISSIONARIES IN ASHKELON
IsraelWire-7/15

A war is going on between Jews and missionaries in Ashkelon: members
of the "Yad L'Banim" organization that works against missions, laid
in the road leading out of the city on Saturday in order to stop with
their bodies a bus that was taking a load of city residents to a baptism
ceremony in the Jordan river.

The bus was organized by a missionary organization.  The "Yad
L'Banim" organization, using detectives, learned of the plan for
baptizing 36 Jewish residents of Ashkelon, most of them new
immigrants.  They organized the protest and were joined by tens of
worshipers from the city's synagogues, and succeeded in stopping the
bus.  However, the missionaries were able to travel in private cars. 
The chief rabbi of Ashkelon said that the Jews were given bribes to
convert to Christianity.  MK Yael Dayan stated in response that
Israel is a democratic country, and that it is wrong to interfere
with the individual's right to religious freedom.

ISRAELI BELIEVERS BAPTIZED
Religion Today 7/14/99

A Christian congregation baptized 12 Jews in Galilee despite
disruptions by Orthodox protesters. The Grace and Truth Christian
Congregation, which refers to itself as a congregation of gentiles
and Jews, baptized the people aged 24-76 on July 10, World
Evangelical Fellowship said. The congregation does not have a
building, so it planned to transport the people from Ashkelon to the
baptism site in northern Galilee.  Orthodox Jews surrounded a bus
hired to take some of the baptismal candidates to the ceremony.  They
shouted threats and curses until the driver canceled the trip. 
Police did not respond to repeated calls for help, WEF said.  The
congregation took the people in private vehicles and a private bus
carried others from a different location in the city. More Orthodox
protesters were on hand when they arrived at the baptismal site two
hours away, but all 12 were baptized and received first communion.

OFFICIALS REPORT `DRAMATIC' RISE IN JEWISH EXODUS FROM RUSSIA
July 14, 1999 By Sergei Shargorodsky, Associated Press Jerusalem (AP)

The exodus of Jews from Russia has increased dramatically and could
bring the largest number of Russian Jews to Israel this year since
the early 1990s, Israeli immigration officials said Wednesday.  In
the first six months of 1999, 12,188 Russian Jews came to Israel, an
increase of 129 percent from the same period last year, said the
Jewish Agency, a quasi-governmental body dealing with immigration.

"A dramatic turn of events has taken place in Russia,'' said Jewish
Agency chairman Sallai Meridor.  "If the trend continues, the number
of Russian Jews might reach 30,000, the largest immigration figure
since 1992,'' Meridor added, noting that only about 14,000 Russian
Jews settled in Israel in 1998.

Russian Jews are pushed to emigrate by concerns about their
homeland's weak economy, political fears and anti-Semitism, officials
said.  Immigration to Israel from the entire former Soviet Union,
including Russia, also was up and could total about 60,000 people
this year, compared to 47,000 in 1998.

PEACE PROCESS

ALBRIGHT TO JOG MIDEAST NEGOTIATIONS DURING AUGUST TRIP
July 13, 1999 By Barry Schweid, Associated Press Washington (AP)

Confident that Israel and the Arabs are intent on reopening peace
talks, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright plans to travel to the
Middle East next month with a goal of brokering a settlement within a
year.  It is becoming a front-burner issue.  "She's prepared to spend a
substantial amount of her time working on the Middle East peace
process in the coming months and years,'' the State Department
spokesman James P.  Rubin said.  Albright is expected to stop in
Damascus for talks with Syrian President Hafez Assad; meet in
Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister
David Levy; and meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the
Palestinian-controlled territory.  Albright, interviewed by the
London-based Arabic magazine Al Wasat, said peace could be achieved
in the Middle East within ayyear.

ARAFAT WANTS E.U.'S AHTISAARI TO MEDIATE IN MIDEAST
Reuters July 15, 1999 Helsinki

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat urged Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari Thursday to
get involved in reviving Arab-Israeli peacemaking on behalf of the
European Union.  Arafat told an education conference in Helsinki that
the Finnish president's success in brokering a Kosovo peace deal
between NATO and Yugoslavia last month made him suitable for a
mediation role in the Middle East.

"We urge His Excellency to play a similar role in the peace process
in the Middle East region because he enjoys prestige, respect and
appreciation with all parties,'' Arafat said through a translator. 
Asked later by reporters what kind of role Ahtisaari could play, the
69-year-old Palestinian leader, looking frail but cheerful, said:
"Very important.'' Arafat said Ahtisaari, whose country holds the
15-nation EU's rotating presidency, should put pressure on Israel to
carry out past agreements to hand over territory to the Palestinians.
 "We call upon him to urge and ask the new government of Israel... 
to implement its commitments....,'' he said.

TONED-DOWN MEETING APPROVES RESOLUTION ON OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
July 15, 1999 By Geir Moulson, Associated Press Geneva (AP)

A scaled-back conference to examine whether Jewish settlements in the
West Bank violate international law went ahead today over Israeli and
U.S.  objections.  The U.N.-ordered session, which lasted around 45
minutes, was called to examine whether the Geneva Conventions on the
conduct of war apply to the settlements in Israeli-occupied
territory.  It unanimously approved a text stating that they do, said
Nabil Shaath, the Palestinian planning minister and senior Palestinian
representative to the conference.  "We're satisfied'' with the
outcome, he said.

Consultations between Arab and European countries on how to proceed
had lasted late into Wednesday night.  Israeli and the United States
stayed away.  They say the conference is unhelpful at a time when new
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is trying to revive the Mideast
peace process.  The U.N.  General Assembly voted 115-2 in February to
convene the meeting, with Israel and the United States casting the
only votes opposed.   Attending today's closed-door session at the
U.N.'s European headquarters were interested countries that have
ratified the conventions.  Shaath said 102 countries attended.  At
issue is land Israel captured from Jordan during the 1967 Mideast
War: the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

U.S., ISRAEL TO UPGRADE STRATEGIC TIES
By Aluf Benn and Nitzan Horowitz, Ha'aretz New York 7/18/99

Tomorrow, Premier Ehud Barak and President Bill Clinton will announce
in a joint communique that the strategic cooperation between the two
countries will be upgraded.  This was the heart of a draft copy of
the communique currently being ironed out by the respective senior
staffs.  The communique will be issued on Monday, prior to Barak's
return to Israel.  There were differences between some Israeli
requests and U.S.  positions, but sources close to Barak are
optimistic that the U.S.  president will be open-minded in
accommodating Barak's requests.  During his visit Barak assured
Clinton that Israel will fulfill all its obligations, including the
implementation of the Wye accords, which will not be postponed to the
end of the diplomatic process.

The two leaders have agreed to the formation of a joint senior
committee, that will brief both leaders on a regular basis.  The
committee will comprehensively examine Israel's security
requirements, and discuss ways and means of assuring and increasing
Israel's deterrent power by supplies of modern technologies and
weapons systems.  The committee will have a broad mandate
to discuss joint strategic planning, over and above any other similar
bilateral forums currently in existence.  Barak emphasised the
importance of maintaining Israel's military might, saying that
even in an atmosphere of peace, "the Middle East does not suffer
weaklings gladly, and does not have any compassion for them."

     During their prolonged discussions at Camp David President
Clinton and Premier Barak agreed to set a 15-month deadline ending in
October 2000, by which time an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement
would have been finalized, and breakthroughs leading to a settlement
between Israel, Syria and Lebanon would have been achieved.

A senior source close to Barak said the timetable reflected three
factors, all of them potential sandtraps that had to be taken into
account.  These include Barak's undertaking to withdraw from
Lebanon within a year, Clinton's promise to Arafat that the final
settlement negotiations would take approximately one year, and the
U.S.  2000 presidential election, which will kickoff with the
first set of primaries in March, after which Clinton's ability to be
intensively involved in the process will be curtailed.  All three
dates converge more or less at the end of next year, hence the
15- month deadline.

During their discussions, Barak told Clinton that three main factors
will determine the outcome of the entire endeavor:

1.  The willingness of both sides to be flexible, with the aim being the
achievement of understandings that are not seen by either side as
compromising their most vital interests. 

2.  U.S.  willingness to provide Israel with the political, diplomatic and
economic capital required to facilitate the reaching of an agreement. 

3.  Determining a timetable.  Barak regards this as critical, since
it dictates its own impetus towards completing the negotiations.

On Friday, Barak phoned up Arafat from Washington, in order to advise
him on the progress that had been achieved.  Barak told the
Palestinian leader that on most issues he and the President saw
things eye to eye.  As soon as Barak returns to Israel, the next
three steps agreed during the Washington trip will be implemented:

1.  Barak will have another summit with Arafat, in which they will
discuss ways to implement the Wye accords, preferably within the
framework of the final status negotiations. 

2.  Madeleine Albright will arrive at the end of August to take
Barak's ideas to Syrian President Assad.

3. Another Washington trip by Barak to complete the drawing of a
political map.  Prior to this trip Barak will travel to France,
Germany and Morocco for diplomatic consultations.

Senior American sources said that there was general satisfaction with
the results of Barak's trip, but noted that the divide, especially
between Damascus and Jerusalem, was wide, and that a good
atmosphere could not forever be a substitute for the hard and
difficult decisions that will eventually have to be taken.

ARAFAT CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE ACCORDS
July 20, 1999 Gaza City, Gaza Strip (AP)

A U.S.-Israel 15-month timetable for making peace deals with the
Arabs is "unacceptable,'' Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said
Tuesday, demanding immediate implementation of signed
agreements.  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak wants to wrap the
stalled Wye River accords, brokered by the United States last October
and frozen two months later, into final status talks with the
Palestinians.  "We don 't accept this,'' Arafat said, returning from
a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.  "We accept only the
immediate and speedy implementation of Wye River Memorandum and the
Hebron Protocol and the other agreements.''

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