31.   Palestinians fear their hopes for an independent state will be thwarted if Israel builds settlements between the autonomous Palestinian cities and breaks up the continuity of the land.

32.   Pinchas Wallerstein, a settler leader, said he would ask Netanyahu to cancel the freeze on building new settlements imposed by the previous leftist government.

33.   A senior Palestinian official said Wednesday that efforts from the recent flurry of Israeli-Palestinian meetings will be in vain in unless Israel stops building Jewish settlements.

34.   According to a compromise plan Barak is floating in talks with the dovish Meretz Party and pro-settler National Religious Party, the new government will not build new settlements.

35.   According to his current outline for peace, Sharon would not build new settlements but he has been vague about whether he would expand existing ones.

36.   A top Egyptian theologian says dealing with Israel while it builds settlements in Jerusalem is banned by Islam and punishable by God.

37.   An Israeli decision to build Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem two weeks ago has sparked nearly continuous clashes.

38.   Arafat has refused to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel would first have to stop building Jewish settlements on disputed land.

39.   Arafat complained that Israel had failed to live up to its promise to make further troop withdrawals in the West Bank and had built Jewish settlements on disputed land.

40.   Arafat complained that Israel had failed to live up to its promise to make further troop withdrawals in the West Bank and had built settlements on disputed land.