Israel accepts UN panel, but demands immunity for testifiers

Israel will not block the UN fact-finding commission on Jenin and will not ask to disqualify any of the appointed members, but will insist that anyone who testifies to the commission should be granted immunity from criminal prosecution on the basis of its findings, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday.

If such immunity is not granted, Peres said, Israel will not permit any Israeli to testify. Peres also asked that the committee's report be given to the sides for comment before it is submitted to Annan, and urged that experts in counter-terrorism and urban warfare be added to the panel. Annan replied that Peres' requests seemed reasonable.

Annan also met a legal delegation from Jerusalem yesterday at UN headquarters in New York. It was not clear last night whether the discussions, which began late, would end yesterday or continue today.

The delegation presented three main demands. The UN mission should concentrate only on Jenin; military and counter-terrorism experts should be added to look into the organizations that used the camp as a base for suicide bombings; and the report should present facts but no conclusions.

Annan partially acceded to the first two demands, and two more military advisers were added to the group yesterday. "It was decided that General [William] Nash will be assisted by two military staff officers and more experts will be brought on board as needed," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said.