ISRAEL: JORDAN'S KING HUSSEIN TO VISIT JERUSALEM

(16 Mar 1997) English/Nat

King Hussein of Jordan is flying to Israel, Sunday, to meet the families whose children were shot dead by a Jordanian soldier, during a school trip on the border between the two countries.

Hussein is visiting to offer his condolences in person, after seven schoolchildren died in the attack, which left six others injured.

And the King is expected to use the opportunity to meet with Israeli leaders to try and dissuade them from their plans to build Jewish homes in Arab east Jerusalem.

Final preparations were underway in Jerusalem for the visit of King Hussein of Jordan, Sunday.

The Jordanian flag fluttered alongside the Israeli one outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem.

A symbol of togetherness perhaps, despite recent criticism by King Hussein over the Israeli government's plan to build thousands of Jewish homes in Arab East Jerusalem.

Following the shocking murders of seven schoolchildren, by a Jordanian soldier, last week, the King requested permission to visit the bereaved families and offer his condolences.

King Hussein will also visit the two girls recovering from the attack at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital.

The visit is likely to be used as an opportunity for the King to talk to Israeli leaders and he is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Ezer Weizman,

Har Homa to the Jews or Jabal Abu Ghneim to the Palestinians is one of the obstacles in the path to peace.

This part of east Jerusalem is where the Palestinians hope to base their capital and the Israeli governments plans to build here has added to the problems of the peace talks.

Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast War and later annexed it.

And the government is determined the city will remain united under Israeli sovereignty.

Distrust between the two sides was evident after the Israeli Minister for Justice Tsahi Hanegbi warned if Arafat condoned violence he would find himself in exile once again.

And Palestinians have reacted to this strongly.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I don't want to react like their way because we have seen all those polite people and we don't use those kind of expressions, but in one (word unclear), this is a matter of rudeness and not accepted by anybody, and we know that Mr Tsahi he is born, his family, his mother you remember were one of those fanatics and extremists in Israel and she feed him through her milk while he is a child the bitterness and hateness for Palestinians."
SUPER CAPTION: Freih Abu Medein, Minister of Justice, for the Palestinian Authority

In Beit Shemesh, outside Jerusalem, the Malka family and their relatives were still in mourning, trying to come to terms with the loss of Adi who was one of the schoolgirls who was shot.

But they said they appreciated King Hussein's visit.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think this is very kind, its a good kind, I mean it's kind to help the mother."
SUPER CAPTION: Sara Malka

This is the only the King's second visit to Israeli-controlled Jerusalem. The first was for Yitzhak Rabin's funeral in November 1995.

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