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INDEX OF THIS ISSUE

FEATURES
     Long-distance house call
     Good sport Former athlete now on team at chamber
SPECIAL:
ELECTION '98
     GOP gubernatorial candidates discuss ways to strengthen families
     Budget issues separate Republican attorney general hopefuls
     'Who's the real Democrat?' key issue in District 4 primary race
VALLEY
     Backers seek Arizona trade office in Israel
     Two Valley women to help with conversions
     Shofar Factory makes several Valley visits
     Sisterhood wraps holiday honey jars
NATION
     U.S. adopts Israeli stance against terror
WORLD
     European insurers agree to pay Holocaust claims
     Recent upheavals in Russia heighten concerns among Jews
ISRAEL
     Holocaust restitution deals fail to engross Jewish state
     Tensions in Hebron escalate after murder of rabbi
OPINION
     Editorial - Comrades at arms
     Letters to the Editor - In the Mail - August 28, 1998
     Marty Latz - In one week, faith shines after trust fades
ARTS
     AJTC holds auditions, wins nominations, meets with JCCA in New York
BUSINESS
     Local summit to focus on multicultural tourism
SPEAKING VOLUMES
     Author attempts to understand, explain 'why'
TORAH STUDY
     God is master of all
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Tensions in Hebron escalate after murder of rabbi

GIL SEDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - The murder of a rabbi in Hebron has cast a pall over already embittered Israeli-Palestinian relations.

The Aug. 20 murder, which sparked weekend clashes in the often volatile West Bank town, prompted several Israeli ministers to call during the Aug. 23 weekly Cabinet meeting for a total suspension of already-deadlocked talks with the Palestinian Authority. The government also called on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to condemn the murder of Rabbi Shlomo Ra'anan.

Arafat has refused to condemn the recent murders of settlers. Some Palestinian officials have stated that while they are ready to condemn terror attacks on Israelis, settlers fall into a different category because of what the officials describe as their provocative behavior.

Israeli security experts suspected that Hamas was behind Ra'anan's murder. They said they believed Hamas would choose more settler targets because of a consensus among Palestinians that attacks against settlers are legitimate.

Earlier this month, two settlers from Yizhar, Shlomo Liebman and Harel Bin-Nun, were killed by suspected Palestinian terrorists. Although the Palestinian Authority refused Israel's demand to condemn the latest slaying, diplomatic sources in Jerusalem said Israel would not suspend the negotiations. But political observers said the latest developments made it clear that there was little chance of rescuing the talks.

Security measures were stepped up around West Bank Jewish settlements in the wake of Ra'anan's murder in Hebron's Tel Rumeida enclave. Israel's army is reportedly planning to erect fences around 20 settlements in the wake of intelligence assessments that Hamas militants have targeted Jewish settlers.

Army leaves have been canceled and tanks were placed on alert in anticipation of further attacks on settlements. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was authorizing the construction of permanent structures at Tel Rumeida.

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