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Palestinian-Israeli violence subsides
U.S., Egypt work to arrange Arafat-Netanyahu meeting
September 28, 1996
Web posted at: 10:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT)JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Violence between Palestinians and Israelis subsided on Saturday, four days after clashes broke out that have claimed about 70 lives.
No deaths or major confrontations were reported Saturday in the West Bank, Gaza Strip or Jerusalem.
Palestinians have been protesting the opening of an archeological and tourist tunnel by the Israelis near the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third most holy site.
U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Warren Christopher, have been trying to arrange a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. But no meeting had been scheduled by late Saturday morning.
One Western diplomat told CNN that Arafat was making a very real effort to control the violence from the Palestinian side, but diplomatic efforts aimed at calming the situation were moving slowly.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has offered to host talks between Arafat and Netanyahu, and such a meeting is favored by Arafat. But a spokesman for Netanyahu said that the Israeli leader wants a bilateral meeting with Arafat.
Police try to stop violence
On Saturday, young Palestinians hurled rocks and stones over fences separating them from Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. No deaths or serious injuries were reported Saturday, however, and Palestinian police were making concerted efforts to control the outbreaks of violence.
When the protests began four days earlier, Palestinian police officers had made little effort to stop rock-throwing Palestinians, and some had participated in gun battles with Israeli forces.
Also on Saturday, Israeli security forces fired rubber bullets and teargas to quell protests in a village near East Jerusalem and villages in the West Bank.
Palestinian anger erupted Wednesday over Israel's opening to tourists of an archeological tunnel that runs underground near the Al Aqsa Mosque. The tunnel connects the Western Wall to the Via Dolorossa, believed by Christians to be Jesus Christ's route to the crucifixion.
The Palestinians claim that the tunnel undermines the foundation of the mosque built atop the Temple Mount, and called on the Israelis to close it immediately.
"Keeping the tunnel open means pushing the whole region towards irresponsible violence," said a statement issued by the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
But Netanyahu defended the tunnel. "I make no excuses and am not sorry about the opening of the Western Wall tunnel which has nothing to do with the Temple Mount, does not do harm to the holy places and which expresses our sovereignty in Jerusalem," he said.
The tunnel was closed Friday at sundown for the Jewish Sabbath, but Israeli authorities said this was not a response to the protests. They said it would be closed every Friday and Saturday for religious reasons.
At least 68 people have been killed in the violence -- 54 Palestinians and 14 Israelis.
Correspondent Jerrold Kessel, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Mideast clashes tempered by start of Jewish sabbath - September 27, 1996
- Seven Palestinians die in clashes in West Bank - September 26, 1996
- Peres: Netanyahu wants 'peace for nothing' - September 26, 1996
- Palestinians, including police, again battle Israeli troops - September 26, 1996
- Israeli archaeological digs threaten Islamic mosque - September 24, 1996
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