CLINTON: Welcome to Palestine

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World & Nation Abilene Reporter-News Sunday, Dec. 13, 1998 30A Palestinians quell violence before Clinton visit By NASSER SHIYOUKHI Associated Press BETHLEHEM, West Bank - Wisps of tear gas enveloped a ban- ner welcoming President Clinton on Saturday in the West Bank, where Palestinian protesters briefly clashed with police and Israeli troops.

Seven protesters were injured before Palestinian police quelled the violence in Bethlehem hours before Clinton's visit — a sign of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's determination to smooth the presi- dent's trip.

Clinton's visit was meant to cele- brate the U.S.-brokered Mideast peace agreement achieved at Wye River in October: But the president will now try to salvage it as Israelis and Palestinians accuse each other of violating the deal.

Palestinians strung a banner across the entrance to Bethlehem reading "Bill Clinton: Welcome to Palestine.* In a home above the banner, a family decorated their balcony for Christmas. But the scene changed when masked youths chanting "Long Live Palestine!" began lobbing stones and firebombe at Israeli troops guarding the city entrance.

The troops responded with rubber bul- lets. The Palestinians are angry because they say Israel has not met a commitment to release hundreds of Palestinians jailed for anti-Israel activities. They say most of those released so far have been common criminals.

The release of more anti-Israel prisoners "would be a real indica- tion Israel is implementing" the peace agreement, Arafat said in Gaza after meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister Favez Tarawmeh. The Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem said they were not opposed to the Clinton visit.

"I'm protesting by throwing stones so that my brother will be released from prison," said 18-year- old Khaled Dakakta, slingshot in hand. "This is not timed for Clinton." The highlight of the visit will be Clinton's attendance at a meeting of the Palestine National Council on Monday evening.

The council is to remove clauses from the Palestinian charter that call for Israel's destruction. He is also to light a Palestinian Christmas tree in Bethlehem's Manger Square on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not go ahead with a planned withdrawal from further West Bank territory unless the clauses are removed by vote.

But Arafat said that a formal vote is not necessary. Although he likely has a majority behind him, Arafat may be backing off a vote because he could lack a two-thirds quorum at the 600-mem- ber council's meeting. On Saturday, 104 dissenting members said they would not attend and Israel has refused to allow some other council members into Gaza.

Arafat said he had accepted a U.S. proposal to meet with Israeli and American officials after the council convenes - but that Israel had yet to respond. Netanyahu is unlikely to attend unless he is satisfied with the coon- cil's actions.

Meanwhile, in a pamphlet pub- lished Saturday, the militant Islamic group Hamas called Clinton *an enemy of the Arabs" who is arriving to "personally supervise in the direst way the destruction of the Palestiniun charter." CLINTON: Welcome to Palestine SANSER OF BETHLEREM MIDDLE EAST COMPANY Associated Press Palestinian Christians festoon their balcony with Christmas dec- orations below a banner which reads, "Bill Clinton: Welcome to Palestine" in preparation for President Clinton's upcoming visit in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Saturday.

Clinton arrives this weekend for a three-day visit aimed at salvaging the Israeli- Palestinian peace process. Hamas demanded Arafat release its leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, from house arrest by Dec. 25 and threatened attacks against Israel if he does not. Also Saturday, two Palestinian "I wish that Mr.

Clinton could make Netanyahu release our pris- oners and move forward with the peace process," said one shopper, Georgina Khoury. protesters killed in clashes Friday in the Palestinian-administered town of Qalqilya were buried.

About 10,000 people attended one of the funerals, many carrying Palestinan flags and chanting "Revenge!" After the violence in Bethlehem, residents resumed preparing for Clinton's visit — and for Christmas. Municipal workers used a cherry picker to hang tinsel and colored bulbs Locals shopping for presents min- gled with U.S. agents securing the site.

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"CLINTON: Welcome to Palestine," Springfield News Sun, 1 July 1990. Covering Palestine archive, CP-1990-020. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-1990-020