LIEBERMAN'S RELATIVE MURDERED IN WEST BANK

American born Rabbi, Hillel Lieberman,relative of U.S. vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman, was found shot to death in a cave in the West Bank.

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Immigrant Rabbi Murdered in West Bank
By Dafna Linzer
Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) - An American-born rabbi was found shot to death in a cave in the West Bank and U.S. Jewish leaders called on President Bill Clinton to hold the Palestinian leader responsible for the murder.
Israeli soldiers on Sunday found the body of Rabbi Hillel Lieberman, a Jewish settler missing since Saturday, in a cave near a West Bank highway.

"He was shot by Palestinians," said police spokesman Rafi Yafe. Yafe said the family was notified at the onset of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Because of strict observances, the family, residents of the Elon Moreh settlement in the northern West Bank, were not available to comment.

Jewish leaders in New York said the 37-year-old rabbi was the father of six and had immigrated to Israel 14 years ago.

A statement issued by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said Lieberman had left home on foot Saturday and was headed for Joseph's tomb, ransacked earlier by Palestinians who destroyed sacred Jewish texts at the site after driving away Israeli troops.

The statement said Lieberman had hoped to save some of the Torah scrolls housed in the tomb which many Jews believe to be the burial site of the biblical figure Joseph, son of Jacob. Liebermann was apparently killed on his way there.

The statement was signed by Ronald Lauder, chairman of the organization and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman.

"We call on President Clinton to hold Chairman Arafat personally responsible for the brutal death of Rabbi Hillel Lieberman."

The statement noted that a number of U.S. citizens have been attacked during 11 days of deadly violence between Israel and the Palestinians that have left 84 dead, mostly Palestinians.

Lieberman is the son of Rabbi Zebulun Lieberman, described in the statement as a prominent spiritual leader in Brooklyn, New York.

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Man's body found near Nablus; might be of missing settler

By Amos Harel, Shlomo Shamir and Ha'aretz Services

IDF troops discovered a man's body at the southern entrance to Nablus at about 7 P.M. on Sunday. The IDF is examining the possibility that the man is Hillel Lieberman, a settler from Elon Moreh who has been missing since Friday night.

The body has been transfered to the center of forensic medicine at Abu Kabir.

Hillel Lieberman is a relative of the U.S. vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman, according to sources in the Yesha Council of Jewish Settlements.

On Saturday, Israeli security forces opened a widespread search for Lieberman, 36, a resident of Elon Moreh in the West Bank and a father of eight. According to Israeli media, Lieberman was was last seen Friday, en route to a demonstration against the IDF's evacuation of Joseph's Tomb in Nablus.