DATE=  10/6/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-220908

TITLE=NETANYAHU (L)

BYLINE=MARK LAVIE

DATELINE=TEL AVIV

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



INTRO:   ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS SPOKEN OUT

AT A NEWS CONFERENCE ABOUT ISRAEL'S BOTCHED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

IN JORDAN OF A LEADER OF THE ISLAMIC EXTREMIST ORGANIZATION

HAMAS.  MARK LAVIE REPORTS THAT IN THE FACE OF WIDESPREAD

CRITICISM, MR. NETANYAHU IS DEFIANT.



TEXT:  AFTER A SPECIAL ISRAELI CABINET MEETING TO DISCUSS WHAT'S

BEING CALLED HERE THE WORST FIASCO IN ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE

OPERATIONS, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU CAME OUT

SWINGING AT HIS CRITICS.  HE APOLOGIZED FOR NOTHING, SAYING IN

THE UNENDING WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, SOMETIMES THINGS GO WRONG --

AND THAT'S PART OF WAR.



          // NETANYAHU CUT IN HEBREW AND FADE UNDER //



IN EVERYTHING WE DO...DECLARED MR. NETANYAHU...WE HAVE ONE GOAL

IN MIND..A GOAL THAT IS TOTALLY JUSTIFIED -- FIGHTING TERROR, TO

PROTECT THE LIVES OF ISRAELI CITIZENS.



HE LASHED OUT AT HIS CRITICS, DECLARING THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE

RALLIED ROUND THE GOVERNMENT AT A TIME OF CRISIS WHEN ISRAELI

AGENTS WERE STILL IN THE FIELD -- A REFERENCE TO THE TWO MOSSAD

AGENTS WHO TRIED TO KILL THE HAMAS LEADER IN JORDAN BUT WERE

CAPTURED.



MR. NETANYAHU BRUSHED OFF QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS OWN JUDGMENT -- OF

CHOOSING JORDAN AS THE BATTLEGROUND FOR THE STRUGGLE AGAINST

HAMAS ... AND OF DAMAGING ALREADY SHAKY RELATIONS WITH AN ARAB

NATION THAT HAS A PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL.



THE ISRAELI CABINET APPOINTED A COMMITTEE TO CHECK INTO THE

AFFAIR.  IT INCLUDES A FORMER HEAD OF THE MOSSAD.   BUT IT

REPORTS BACK TO THE CABINET -- AND ITS FINDINGS MIGHT NOT BE MADE

PUBLIC.



THIS COMES AS ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS RENEW THEIR PEACE

NEGOTIATIONS AFTER A SIX-MONTH BREAK.  AMERICAN ENVOY DENNIS ROSS

ARRIVED HERE TO ATTEND THE FIRST SESSION.  THE ISRAELI AND

PALESTINIAN COMMITTEES WILL GO BACK TO TRACKING ISSUES THEY'VE

BEEN DISCUSSING FOR YEARS ... OPENING SEAPORTS AND AIRPORTS FOR

THE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA, AND ALLOWING FREE PASSAGE FOR

PALESTINIANS THROUGH ISRAEL BETWEEN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA.



BUT BOTH SIDES SAY THEY'LL RAISE TOUCHIER ISSUES.  THE ISRAELIS

WILL INSIST THAT THE PALESTINIANS FIGHT TERRORISM...AND THE

PALESTINIANS WILL DEMAND THAT ISRAEL STOP BUILDING (JEWISH)

SETTLEMENTS IN THE WEST BANK. (SIGNED)



NEB/ML-EMAIL/RRM



06-Oct-97 5:04 PM EDT (2104 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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