71.   Golan settler leader Eli Malka said that what he sees as the danger of a withdrawal seems to have been averted for now.

72.   Golan settler leader Eli Malka told Israel Radio he did not trust Syrian President Hafez Assad to honor an agreement.

73.   He denied that the settlements inhibited the peace process, but settler leaders acknowledge that they aim to prevent Palestinian statehood.

74.   He complained that Rabin only met with settler leaders and ignored a month-old meeting request from Palestinian officials.

75.   He met with settler leaders for a first hand assessment of the situation.

76.   He rarely raises his voice, in contrast to the fiery rhetoric some other settler leaders are fond of.

77.   However settler leaders said they started construction at their own initiative.

78.   However the number of visitors fell far short of the thousands settler leaders said would come to the city.

79.   In a rare interview with an Arabic newspaper, five moderate settler leaders urged coexistence and dialogue with their Palestinian neighbors.

80.   In exchange, settler leaders pledged their support for Netanyahu in the elections, the report said.