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US-led inquiry commission meets Ehud Barak

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December 12, 2000 

JERUSALEM-- (UNB/AP) - A U.S.-led commission of inquiry into Israeli-Palestinian violence began its work Monday, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. A senior Barak aide said Israel has "nothing to hide or be ashamed of."

Each side has blamed the other for nearly 10 weeks of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in which 312 people have been killed, the vast majority Palestinians.

The Palestinians say Israel uses excessive force, often targeting unarmed civilians. Seventy-one of 263 Palestinians killed by Israeli troops or civilians were younger than 18. A 15-year-old boy on Monday died of injuries sustained two days earlier by gunfire from Israeli soldiers.

Israel says the Palestinian leadership incites attacks against Israel, in hopes of extracting concessions it could not obtain otherwise in peace talks.

The five-member commission, led by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, is spending three days in the region and for now does not plan to conduct field work, relying instead on written reports by both sides.

Javier Solana of Spain, a senior European Union official, said the body commission was not formed to judge either side but help offer solutions to end the bloodshed.

"The commission is not a tribunal," Solana told reporters in Jerusalem after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami. The commission's purpose is "to analyze the situation between the two parties and see if we can't make recommendations for the future," Solana said.

The commission will present a report on its findings to the U.S. president at the end of March, Solana said.

Later Monday, the commission was to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Gaza City, then fly to Egypt and Jordan. Israel and the Palestinians agreed on setting up the commission at a summit meeting in Egypt in October.

Barak aide Gadi Baltiansky said the delegates would collect written testimony, and that at a later stage, they might ask for more information. Baltiansky said Israel was confident its point of view would be accepted by the commission.

Asked about the Palestinian charges of excessive use of force, Baltiansky told Israel radio: "Every death is (tragic), no matter what the age ... but in the big picture, we have nothing to hide or be ashamed of."

Arafat spokesman Nabil Aburdeneh said the commission "should start its work very quickly and stay in the area as long as possible." Palestinian officials have said the commission members should appoint experts who would remain in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to conduct field interviews.

The members of the commission, in addition to Mitchell and Solana, are Warren Rudman, a former Republican senator from New Hampshire; former Turkish President Suleyman Demirel; and Foreign Minister Thorbjorn Jagland of Norway.

Ben-Ami, meanwhile, said Israel is determined to push ahead in the peace process despite Israeli elections slated for February. Barak announced his resignation Saturday.

"Even though we are in an electoral period, it is our intention and our determination to pursue the peace process," Ben-Ami said.

Barak reportedly hopes to work out a final peace agreement with the Palestinians that would be the focus of his platform in the elections. However, Arafat said Sunday that elections would disrupt efforts to return to negotiations.

Also Monday, 15-year-old Ahmed Tawafni died of injuries sustained two days ago when he was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during clashes in the West Bank town of Hebron.