Скачать или смотреть WEST BANK: HAMAS SUPPORTERS DEMONSTRATION

(30 Jan 1999) English/Nat

Hamas supporters on Saturday acted out various stages of the Islamic militant group's 12-year history, including kidnappings of Israeli soldiers and suicide bombings.

Demonstrators in white robes showed their support for Hamas and demanded the release of all political prisoners in Palestinian jails.

The reenactments were part of a rally of three thousand students at the An Najah University, a Hamas stronghold.

The scenes, including one in which Hamas activists point wooden AK-47's at the head of an actor dressed up as a kidnapped Israeli soldier, were likely to anger the Israeli government.

Under the Wye River peace agreement both Israel and the Palestinian Authority promised to crackdown on any expression of incitement against the other side.

Through the reenactments, two Hamas supporters took the audience through the history of the movement starting with the formative years of stone throwing to the present day suicide bombings.

After the rally about 500 participants carrying the green and black Hamas flags marched to the Jenaid prison in Nablus demanding that the Palestinian Authority release Hamas prisoners.

On Friday night the Palestinian Cabinet gathered in Gaza for it's weekly session and discussed an American invitation for a peace meeting in Washington.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We have accepted an American invitation to go to a trilateral meeting in Washington to review the implementation and we will accept what the American administration has to say because we have carried out all our obligations and commitments. And by the way, the time frame provided for the Wye memorandum will end Sunday the 31st of January."
SUPER CAPTION: Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator

Erekat also said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be in Washington for a three-day visit starting Tuesday where he will ask U.S. President Bill Clinton to help salvage the latest land-for-security deal which he personally helped broker.

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