MIDDLE EAST: GEORGE MITCHELL DISCUSSES CLASHES WRAP

(11 Dec 2000) English/Nat Members of a U-S-led commission investigating the recent wave of Mideast violence met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak today. During the meeting, Barak presented Israel's perspective on the events leading to the recent violence and submitted a report which blames Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for inciting and encouraging the conflict. The leader of the commission, former Senator George Mitchell, announced after the meeting that Israel has offered him their full cooperation to investigate the violence that has so far claimed over 300 lives, mostly Palestinian. Each side is blaming the other for nearly ten weeks of fighting which sees daily exchanges of fire. The U-S led commission to investigate the causes of the violence was agreed to at a summit meeting in Egypt in October, soon after the violence commenced. George Mitchell is scheduled to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat later Monday after which he will fly to Egypt and Jordan. The Palestinians handed the commission a document on Friday with a large number of complaints against Israel, describing the country as "the last colonist left in the world". The Palestinians, who have been requesting international intervention for a long time now, are sceptical regarding the Mitchell commission. They're demanding an international commission with an extensive mandate that will protect the Palestinians from the Israeli occupation. The commission's visit comes as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak set in motion an election in February by rendering his resignation to Israel's president. Barak will remain in office during the interim and will seek re-election, but the move further complicated peace efforts. Israel's acting Foreign Minster Shlomo Ben Ami met with some of the commission members on Monday at the King David hotel in Jerusalem. After their meeting, Ben Ami said that Israel was still committed to the peace process. In Gaza U-N commissioner-general Peter Hanson toured on Monday the area of Khan Yunes and Rafah. Hanson checked the borders between Gaza and Israel in these areas. He checked the security arrangements and heard complaints from Palestinians about the Israeli soldiers based along these borders. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The Prime Minister assured us again today that the government of Israel would do its part to enable the committee to establish the facts and, in coordination with both sides, to have full access to persons with information bearing on its work." SUPER CAPTION: George Mitchell, Middle East commission leader SOUNDBITE: (English) "Even though we are in an electoral period it is our intention and our determination to pursue the peace process. The peace process was not born out of political considerations, and it will continue regardless of any political conditions that may prevail in this country. The peace process is a strategic objective of the state of Israel hence it remains our essential policy." SUPER CAPTION: Shlomo Ben Ami, Israeli acting Foreign Minister Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...